Josh Collinsworth

Josh Collinsworth
https://joshcollinsworth.com/ (RSS)
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The childlike and the childish
6 Nov 2024 | original ↗

Life in America has long felt like a game played between adults and children; a game where one side knows the rules and is dedicated to keeping them, and the other is merely making up ad-hoc rules from moment to moment, for no reason but to help them win.

A response to "Defending Open Source: Protecting the Future of WordPress"
5 Nov 2024 | original ↗

I feel it's important to issue a critical reading of Automattic's post, as it doesn't seem to offer much of a serious or objective examination of the issues at hand. Rather, the post unfortunately reads as something more akin to a puff piece, or corporate propaganda.

If WordPress is to survive, Matt Mullenweg must be removed
27 Sept 2024 | original ↗

I believe Matt Mullenweg's abuses of his unilateral, unchecked powers prove that it is in the best interest of the entire WordPress community that he be removed from power immediately.

For whatever it's worth: my advice on job hunting in tech
7 Jun 2024 | original ↗

A collection of things I've learned over my decade in the industry, on how and where to look for jobs, applying, interviewing, talking about yourself and your work, and all those other fun things. For whatever it's worth.

A decade of code
10 May 2024 | original ↗

A personal (read: meandering) post inspired by the realization that I first began to learn HTML and CSS exactly ten years ago, reflecting on the lucky turning points that brought me to where I am today.

Follow-up: the Glove80 after six months
8 Apr 2024 | original ↗

An update on my previous first impressions post, covering how it's been using the MoErgo Glove80 every day for the past six months, how it's affected my RSI, and whether I'd recommend it (short answer: yes).

The quiet, pervasive devaluation of frontend
7 Mar 2024 | original ↗

I keep noticing those of us in the frontend field being treated much the same as nurses, paralegals, and executive assistants. Our work is seen as important, certainly, but just not the same as, or as important as, the “real” work.

I worry our Copilot is leaving some passengers behind
13 Feb 2024 | original ↗

Why I worry about the effect GitHub Copilot is having and will continue to have on the accessibility of the web at scale.

Things I enjoyed in 2023
30 Dec 2023 | original ↗

Things I watched, read, played, got into, enjoyed, or did and would do again, in 2023.

First impressions of the MoErgo Glove80 ergonomic keyboard
24 Oct 2023 | original ↗

How does the Glove80 stack up against similar keyboards like the Moonlander and Ergodox? I share my impressions after the first few weeks of use.

A message from the Captain of the S.S. Layoff
4 Oct 2023 | original ↗

Indeed, there's plenty to go around, thanks largely to all of you. But the fastest way to make the numbers better is to stop feeding and sheltering people and their families. Nothing personal.

Classic rock, Mario Kart, and why we can't agree on Tailwind
26 Sept 2023 | original ↗

It's popular to say we can’t agree on Tailwind, but I posit we actually already do. I think what we actually disagree on isn’t the details of this (or any) specific software; it's in what we value, and how we each define assets and liabilities.

Things you forgot (or never knew) because of React
4 Aug 2023 | original ↗

If you don't often look beyond established comfortable defaults, you might be surprised to learn just how far the world of frontend has moved away from React, and how big that gap continues to grow.

Alfred vs. Raycast: my constant debate
24 Jul 2023 | original ↗

After a year or so of using Raycast, I'm switching back to Alfred. This is what prompted me to make that decision, and why I may or may not stick with it.

Adding page transitions in SvelteKit
1 Mar 2023 | original ↗

Transitions, easing, and routing are all baked into SvelteKit. This makes utilizing page transition effects in SvelteKit sites and apps as easy as adding just a few lines of code.

Ten tips for better CSS transitions and animations
28 Feb 2023 | original ↗

Creating high-quality, polished web animations is both a science and an art. This post covers the best things I've learned over the last decade of crafting web UIs.

Understanding easing and cubic-bezier curves in CSS
22 Feb 2023 | original ↗

The easing curve can make or break any animation on the web. Let's look at the science of CSS cubic-bezier curves, and the art of using them to make the best web animations possible.

Impressions of the ZSA Moonlander at one month
24 Jan 2023 | original ↗

My thoughts, experience, and advice after using the Moonlander as my main keyboard for both personal and work projects for a full month

Why you should never use px to set font-size in CSS
28 Oct 2022 | original ↗

Many developers seem to believe there's no difference between px and other CSS units. Let's dispel that myth, for the sake of better accessibility.

Forty-two
26 Oct 2022 | original ↗

I'm 42 years old today. This is a personal post about where I am now, what's going on in my head, and 42 things I've learned (or at least, think I've learned).

Breaking changes in SvelteKit, August 2022
17 Aug 2022 | original ↗

SvelteKit introduced breaking changes to its routing and data loading in August 2022. Learn how to convert from the old way of doing things to the new.

The self-fulfilling prophecy of React
27 Jul 2022 | original ↗

The only thing React is better at than other front-end frameworks is being popular. So how long will that self-perpetuating cycle continue?

Announcing Hondo
14 Jul 2022 | original ↗

Updating Quina to version 2.0 filled my head with new ideas that I just couldn't walk away from. Eventually, those ideas took the shape of a whole new word game, named Hondo.

Building accessible toggle buttons (with examples for Svelte, Vue, and React)
19 May 2022 | original ↗

Toggle buttons might be the biggest missing native HTML element. This post will help you code them right, for all users, in any (or no) framework.

Debugging iOS Safari (when all you have is a Mac)
10 May 2022 | original ↗

Debugging iOS Safari is a challenge (and possibly expensive) when you don't have access to an iPhone. Here are a few options to get around that problem.

Creating dynamic bar charts with CSS grid
24 Mar 2022 | original ↗

How to use CSS grid to make a responsive, adaptable bar chart with no math or external library required!

Let's learn SvelteKit by building a static Markdown blog from scratch
27 Dec 2021 | original ↗

Learn the fundamentals of SvelteKit by building a statically generated blog from scratch, with Markdown support, Sass, an API, and an RSS feed.

Adding blog comments to your static site with utterances
6 Nov 2021 | original ↗

The web world is full of tradeoffs. Going from a CMS to a static site keeps things simple—but that simplicity comes with costs. Luckily, giving up comments on your blog doesn't have to be one of them.

Converting from Gridsome to SvelteKit
4 Oct 2021 | original ↗

I've been a fan of Svelte for years, but never had the opportunity to use it on a serious project before. So when I found myself looking for a new platform for this site as SvelteKit entered open beta, it seemed like perfect timing.

Introducing Svelte, and Comparing Svelte with React and Vue
1 Oct 2021 | original ↗

Svelte is a new style of framework for building sites and apps. Let's dive into what makes it different, why it's so enjoyable, and how it's able to ship such tiny, fast apps.

Goodbye, WordPress
1 Feb 2021 | original ↗

WordPress was potentially the most impactful and empowering technology I've yet encountered. It transformed my career path and enabled me to do anything I wanted at every point in my journey. So why leave it now?

Announcing Quina (My First App)!
10 Dec 2020 | original ↗

The story of building Quina, a word game Progressive Web App built with Nuxt, and launched on the Google Play Store.

How to Create Custom Editor Blocks with Block Lab
14 Jun 2020 | original ↗

Block Lab is a WordPress plugin that simplifies the process of creating custom blocks to use in the block editor, AKA Gutenberg, the new content editor in WordPress 5.0. This post explains how to use it, even if you only know basic HTML.

A New Headless Site with Gridsome
6 Jun 2020 | original ↗

A lengthy write-up diving into what headless means, its advantages and disadvantages, some of the techniques and gotchas involved, and, finally, the new design of this site specifically.

This isn't the Time, But it's the Perfect Time; Goodbye, Instagram
3 Jun 2020 | original ↗

…Lately, I’ve been wondering whether I can actually continue supporting Instagram and the company behind it, however passively or at whatever seemingly insignificant scale. And while I was zeroing in on this answer anyway, the events of the last couple of weeks have clearly cemented in my mind that the answer—for me, at least—is an unequivocal...

How to Connect Local with CodeKit
21 Feb 2020 | original ↗

Enjoy all the convenience of easy local WordPress development with Local, plus build tools with CodeKit, without any of the tricky command line setup.

How to Check Uniqueness in an Array of Objects in JavaScript
17 Feb 2020 | original ↗

Working with arrays of objects in JavaScript can be difficult. This post covers how to ensure all object keys (IDs) are unique, and how to find non-unique values.

Adding Gutenberg Full- and Wide-Width Image Support to Your WordPress Theme
16 Mar 2019 | original ↗

Gutenberg brings with it the ability to set image blocks as full-width or wide-width. This article talks about how to enable support for that feature in your theme, and one way to write the CSS that makes it work.

Let's Learn CSS Variables!
25 Feb 2018 | original ↗

CSS variables (otherwise known as CSS custom properties) give previously impossible superpowers to CSS developers. This post covers what they are, how they work, and a couple of nifty ways you can implement them on your own website.

New Site, New Theme for 2018
2 Jan 2018 | original ↗

Building a WordPress theme (and a new brand) from scratch.

Five Ways to Become a Better Designer (That Aren't Design)
4 Feb 2017 | original ↗

There’s vast world of design learning and opportunity right in front of us constantly. All we need to do is take the time to notice it and learn from it.

My Essential Tools for WordPress Development
25 Jun 2016 | original ↗

Some of these apps, resources and tools aren’t directly WordPress-related, or even necessarily development-related; some have to do with productivity or just make life a little easier. That’s by design. Part of being a developer is learning to work and use your tools as efficiently and with as little wasted time and mental energy as possible.

The Five Things I Wish Somebody Had Told Me as a Design Student
21 Feb 2016 | original ↗

Your worst instructor as a design student will lay out clear goals and expectations which will not change; this is not a given with clients.

WordPress Child Theme Explanation and Walkthrough
31 Dec 2015 | original ↗

When you’re just starting out with WordPress, it’s easy to think that you can just open up the style.css file included with your theme and begin making alterations. And that will work—at least for a while—but it won’t be a good idea…

Why Designers Shouldn't "Fix" Other Designers' Logos
4 Sept 2015 | original ↗

No matter how simple the end product, design is hard work. To come up with something that looks good, something people like, is at best tangential to the main point. The question is: does it succeed at meeting the project goals? And you don’t know how to answer that question.

8 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Student Design Portfolio
20 Aug 2015 | original ↗

Consider this post a guide on how to avoid the most common mistakes young designers make when assembling their portfolios.

Profit is Not a Value
5 Aug 2015 | original ↗

Any executive or business owner will say their company values integrity, and virtually every company claims that they reward and value their employees exhibiting their brand values. But is that really accurate?

Understanding the Difference Between Image and Vector File Types
11 Jun 2015 | original ↗

If you’re like me, you’ve probably spent some time wondering (and Googling) about the differences between various popular format types commonly used for graphic design applications. So I decided I’d create a resource that’s hopefully a handy reference on the matter of discerning file type supports and behavior.

Pantone, Color, and What I Wish I Had Known Sooner as a Designer
1 Apr 2015 | original ↗

One of the most difficult things for me to learn in my transition from the classroom to a professional branding agency was how to properly handle color output. So I decided to write this post in the hope of saving you some from some of the pitfalls that I failed to avoid.

Social Media, Compulsion, and the 12 Things I Learned on My Break from Facebook
27 Mar 2015 | original ↗

I’m beginning to believe that becoming more connected with everyone is making me less connected with anyone.

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