Goodbye, Table Layouts

Tania Rascia’s post “From Cooking to Coding” resonated with me, because our stories are a bit similar. We learned about web design when we were young without the need of any textbook. We learned hands on and in the flow. We’ve returned to websites because we love websites. It was only a matter of time until we came back.

The Beginning

2000s: Frames & Table Layouts Are In

The early 2000s was magical for me. We got our first desktop hooked to dial-up internet and the web was our oyster. I don’t remember how I got into making websites early on, but I do remember the feeling: utter amazement that I could create something of my own.

First Website: The Jigglypuff Shrine

I made my first website on Geocities, which was one of the big three (AngelFire, Geocities, Tripod). Back then, Pokemon was very popular, and I liked how much Jigglypuff was so bold and, unapologetically, sassy.

During this time, I was fascinated with HTML frame tags, and how it could divide a page into a scrollable left side navigation and the main content area. These were a mere two frame tags, but, quickly, I learned how to use multiple frame tags to make more beautiful websites.

Many Websites: A Blog & Collective

I stumbled upon an awesome community of bloggers who also had their own network of websites. We blogged about anime, video games, and our personal lives. In addition, we also worked on our own personal collections of pet projects, which consisted of fan sites (characters, comics, etc.) filled with analyses, and more.

During this time, I used multiple frame tags, prettied it up with CSS, and don’t right click with JavaScript. Our community learned together, changed our blog layouts so often that we inspired each other.

We had a great community, and I loved it. Riku was one of my lovely friends from this era.

(Side note: Riku, we’re waiting for you to publish your first website since forever!)

The Stuff In Between

I went to college, worked in a research lab and a hospital. Although I had great experiences, I was looking for a career that involved the web.

Conclusion

In a blink of an eye, the web world changed before my eyes:

• Static -> Responsive Websites
• Tables -> Divs and other block and inline elements, CSS Grid, CSS Flexbox
• … and more!

It was fascinating how the web changed, and how outdated my web design knowledge became so I studied on the side while I worked. The web has gotten a lot bigger and it’s wonderful.

I decided to return to the web and make things again, so here I am!