Thirty years ago, Netscape released Navigator 2.0 which brought JavaScript to the web. I had already been messing around with building websites for a year or so at that point, but it was the introduction of JavaScript on the browser that really pulled me in. I dove in to learning how to make dynamic navigation bars and a few other things. My work caught the notice of a web design firm in Dallas and launched my career on the web.
Since then, I’ve built and rebuilt my website dozens of times. I alternated between using tools like Dreamweaver and Movable Type (kudos if you remember those!) and building my own with Java, Ruby on Rails, Python, and more. Along the way, I lost my content database once and then purposefully deleted a bunch of content several times so that I could change the character of what I put online. I followed the rest of the online world into social media and put a bunch of energy into platforms like Twitter.
Later, I came to regret that. My website on my domain is where the hub of my life online has always been. And, I’ve started re-investing in it again. As part of that investment, I’ve migrated the tools I use to make the website, again. This time, I haven’t built another bespoke setup out of the latest programming language I’m playing with. This time, I’ve moved to Webflow.
It’s a big change. I’ve gone from a very custom hand-built system that takes a pile of Markdown files and transmutes them into a working site to a full-bore CMS-backed tool that has a very sophisticated visual editor. It’s kind of like going back to something that’s part Dreamweaver, part Movable Type, and whole lot of other things all modernized for 2025.
But why? I typically rebuild my website to dig into a new programming language, framework, or tool. This time is very similar. I have an opportunity to do something and I couldn’t say yes to that without exploring what Webflow could do. And, I found myself really liking the results, so I’m making the jump and moving on from my previous setup. If you’re reading this, you’re on the new site. Welcome!
What’s that opportunity, you ask? I’ll talk more about that in a few weeks.
Of course, with any website migration, there are always some bumps. URL paths shift. RSS feeds reset. I’ve done my best to keep these under control, but if your feed reader suddenly decides that everything on my site is new again, I apologize. If you see something amiss, let me know. Or, if you like what you see, I also want to know. Please get in touch!
