HTML: Still Here

A short reflection on the timeless foundation of the internet.

1. The Web as an Archaeological Site
  • Modern web apps = over-engineered sandcastles
  • Dazzling but destined to decay when dependencies break and APIs change
  • HTML = nuclear hardened bunkers
  • Simple HTML pages are the most durable digital artifact we have
2. Humility in Simplicity
  • I am not an expert. And that's exactly the point.
  • HTML is not a specialist's language. It's a universal one.
  • HTML is forgiving, resilient, and human-readable.
  • Anyone can build something lasting with it - and it will stand the test of time.
3. HTML as Language, Not Tooling
  • HTML isn't a framework. It's a specification - a shared agreement between browsers and humans.
  • Browsers are interpreters of that spec: they take your tags and render meaning.
  • This universality and backward compatibility is why pages written 25+ years ago still work today.
  • Space Jam website from 1996 and even the world's first website still work today.
4. The Beauty of Semantics
  • HTML is declarative: you describe what something is, not what it does.
  • Tags like <article>, <header>, <footer>, and <time> give content structure and meaning.
  • It's not just for browsers. It's for humans, search engines, assistive tech, and even future AI.
  • What's your favorite HTML element? List here.
5. The Layers That Followed
  • CSS brought style and JavaScript brought interactivity.
  • Together, they turned static pages into living, breathing experiences.
  • But beneath every React app, every animation, and every API call, there's still an HTML skeleton holding it all together.
  • See createRoot and root
6. The Age of Abstraction
  • Modern development piles on abstractions. Transpilers, frameworks, bundlers.
  • These empower us to build complex experiences, but also create distance from the web's foundation.
  • We gain sophistication, but lose the ability to open a file in 10 years and just understand it.
7. AI and the Return to Semantics
  • Ironically, AI models are excellent at writing semantic HTML.
  • Why? Because it's clean, meaningful, structured, and timeless.
  • AI can help us rediscover the simplicity and clarity that early web authors prized.
8. The Miracle of Deployment
  • To publish your page to the world, you only need to upload one HTML file to a public web host.
  • That's it! A simple document accessible instantly across the planet.
  • The web was, and still is, just documents linked together.
9. HTML as Philosophy
  • HTML = language of structure + intention.
  • It's verbose at times, but that verbosity is clarity.
  • Markdown, for example, may be simpler. But browsers don't speak it.
10. Workshop: Crafting a Digital Artifact
  • Now, let's build something small but enduring.
  • Each of you will create a semantic HTML page... a personal artifact, a time capsule.
  • HTML only! Let's see your creativity shine. Lean into semantics + gen AI tools!
  • Once you start building, you can open your index.html file in a browser to see your work.
  • Alternatively, you can build using an online editor
  • We'll deploy it to GitHub Pages or Netlify Drop, making it part of the living web.
  • In minutes, you'll have something that could outlast every app in production today!
  • Copy and paste this boilerplate:
11. HTML Boilerplate 

            <!DOCTYPE html>
            <html lang="en">
              <head>
                <meta charset="UTF-8">
                <title>My First Webpage</title>
              </head>

              <body>
              </body>
            </html>