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A site refresh

02 Aug 2024 https://www.achrinza.com/blog/2024/08/02/a-site-refresh

It’s been a while, and that means it’s time for a website refresh!

The previous iteration of my personal website served its needs well - It was simple, a single page, and contained my a breif introducer, and how to reach out to me.

Since then, I’ve continued to grow professionally and personally - I got my Diploma, took up my certifications, and had been on the job a bit longer. In addition, I wanted to share my knowledge and personal experiences - many of which are kept in my personal notes - for others to read.

The old website was no longer feasible - It was a plain HTML file crafted by hand, and did not have any blogging capabilities.

Hence, the website you’re reading this on was born.

Deciding the design

I wanted the design to be personal, yet easy to manage. Thus a content-first style was created.

It retains the same simplicity as my previous website with few distractions and content right in the center. This works with the content-heavy nature of the website and is one I hope people can appreciate.

If I were a website designer, it may have had more bling, but designer I am not. Though admittedly it’s still quite… empty. Nonetheless, it’s a starting point so that I can start publishing new content sooner than later, and I do plan to make minor tweaks and give it more personality over time.

Deciding on a stack

I wanted the most control over the generated HTML, without the bloat of unecessary JavaScript that comes with front-end frameworks. Naturally, a static site generator was a good fit - Most include a blogging feature, and don’t inject unecessary stuffs.

As to why Jekyll? It was what’s most familiar. I may consider switching to Eleventy, but for now this’ll suffice.

What now?

I intend to start pubishing on this blog with some frequency, maybe once a week or so. Whether its technical guides, personal experiences, or just some random topic, I hope this would encourage me to write, and learn how to better express my thoughts into something more engaging and readable over time.

Or at least, that’s the intended goal. We’ll see how it goes.

- Rifa Achrinza