It is the year 2021 and the whole world seems to be on instagram, facebook or twitter. Why, might you ask, why would ANYONE build a static website in 2021? Is that not a thing of the past?
Come to think about it, there are actually a lot of reasons why someone would build a static website in 2021, but here are the important ones that make it worthwhile for me:
The world wide web is a peculiar place, which is why I am sure that at some point or other, someone will stumble across this website and learn something, be inspired by one of my projects, or get food for thought in one way or the other.
A website is a great way to organize ones thoughts and ideas, and to stay focused when working on projects. Showcasing a project sometimes gives rise to that last bit of motivation I would otherwise be lacking, in order to go the last mile and put the finishing touches on something. I am using this as a remedy to overcome the “unfinished project curse”.
It is a great way to keep track of ones progress. Projects come and go, and not every outcome can be preserved over time. If I can’t keep the project itself, a write-up and some pictures go a long way in helping ones memory. I think it is a good thing to look back on projects that worked out well every now end then. And of course it can be good to look back on stuff that didn’t work out as well.
In contrast to other platforms, a self-built website puts me in full control of not only the content, but also the design and inner workings of the platform itself. This alone would already make building my own website worth while.
I learn as much about technology as I can, and building a website from the ground up makes me think about the whole process of generating online content differently than if I was using a ready-made platform. This really depends on what you are looking for - it can no doubt be a good thing to be able to focus purely on content. But that is simply not what I’m after - to me, the platform itself is part of the process and the reason why I’m doing this.
As you can see, I have many reasons to build a static website in 2021, and I’m sure if you’ve landed here, I need not explain further. After all, you most likely have good reasons of your own to stray from that part of the internet that delivers things to your doorstep and provides likes…
That’s it for now - thanks for stopping by!