Hello World

By Mark Nuyens
4 min. read💾 Nostalgia

In the early days of web development, creating a website was a much simpler task than it is today. Back then, most of us used Macromedia Dreamweaver or similar tools to create static HTML and CSS files, which they uploaded to the server using FTP. These were the days when jobs like "webmaster" were still a thing, and editing the static content remotely took just a second. While we tend to romanticize this era of web development, it's important to remember that there were both benefits and drawbacks to this simpler time.

One of the main benefits of using Dreamweaver and FTP was the simplicity of the process. With just a few static files of HTML and CSS, webmasters could quickly and easily create a website. There was no need for complex programming languages or frameworks, and search engines were happy because there was little to no JavaScript blocking content. This made it easy for webmasters to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

However, there were also drawbacks to this approach. For one thing, not having the great tools we have today led to scalability issues. As websites grew in size and complexity, it became harder to manage them using static HTML and CSS files. There was also a lack of version control, which made it difficult to collaborate with other developers and keep track of changes to the code.

Despite these drawbacks, there is something nostalgic and comforting about the simplicity of those early days of web development. It's easy to look back on that time with fondness and a sense of longing for the days when creating a website was a much simpler task.

But the truth is that we have moved on to a more modern approach to web development for good reason. Today's websites are far more complex than those of the past, and they require more advanced tools and techniques to create and manage. Git has replaced FTP as the preferred method of uploading code to a server, and modern web development frameworks like VueJS and Nuxt have revolutionized the way we build websites.

In the end, it's important to remember that the nostalgia we feel for the old days of web development is tempered by the knowledge that we have moved on for good reason. While it may be fun to reminisce about using index.html to get the job done, we must also acknowledge that the web has evolved and that we must evolve with it.

Still, it's fun to look back on those simpler times and over-romanticize the use of Macromedia Dreamweaver, FTP, and static HTML and CSS files. A time where building your own website seemed accessible to anyone, apart from esthetics or clean code for that matter.

Thank you for reading!