Web standards and the principles behind building sites that last. Covering semantic HTML, progressive enhancement, performance, and core web technologies.
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Frameworks come and go, but the web platform endures. Semantic HTML, progressive enhancement, and standards-compliant markup aren't old-fashioned. They're the foundation that makes everything else work. A site built on solid standards loads faster, breaks less often, and ages more gracefully than one chasing the latest toolchain.
These posts explore the principles behind durable web development. We cover semantic markup patterns, browser APIs, performance optimization, and the philosophy of building with the grain of the web rather than against it. If you believe the best technology is the kind that lasts, this collection is for you.
Written by Brent Passmore, Had A Farm
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Web standards are the specifications and best practices defined by organizations like the W3C and WHATWG that govern how websites are built. They include HTML for structure, CSS for presentation, and JavaScript for behavior. Building to standards ensures your site works reliably across browsers, devices, and assistive technologies without depending on proprietary features.
Semantic HTML uses elements like header, nav, main, article, and footer to convey the meaning and structure of your content, not just its appearance. Screen readers use these elements to help users navigate. Search engines use them to understand page structure. And developers benefit from code that is self-documenting and easier to maintain.
Progressive enhancement is a development strategy that starts with a baseline of content and functionality that works for everyone, then layers on advanced features for browsers that support them. This approach ensures your site remains usable even when JavaScript fails, network conditions are poor, or users rely on older devices.
Standards-compliant code tends to be leaner and more efficient than framework-heavy alternatives. Semantic HTML reduces the need for extra wrapper elements. Native browser features like the details element or CSS Grid replace JavaScript-dependent solutions. The result is smaller payloads, faster rendering, and better Core Web Vitals scores.
Absolutely. Modern frameworks like React, Vue, and Svelte all compile down to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Understanding the underlying standards helps you write better framework code, debug rendering issues, and build accessible interfaces. Frameworks are tools that sit on top of the platform, but the platform itself is defined by web standards.