Going static

Talking about clutter, I am in the process of getting rid of most of my WordPress sites and replacing them with handmade static pages. The Gutenberg editor has become a headache. I've been trying to get used to it but it isn't really helping. I write a lot, and I sometimes post parts of it on blogs/websites. And I want to keep editing even after publishing and take them back to other formats or merge the edited text with its original context. I don't want to write specifically for a particular "blogging" platform. Whenever you paste an article into the Gutenberg editor, it gets messed up beyond repair. It turns into WordPress-only content.

I know there are markdown editor-plugins etc that I can use. I've been using them. But the WP "ecosystem" is changing way too fast, and a lot of plugins disappear during the process.

It is easier to create web pages manually, rather than wasting time and energy on keeping these sites secure, php versions updated etc. Back to GeoCities days! There may be rare occasions that justify the use of static site generators. But they too are highly bloated. To serve 2 or 3 web pages you have to generate about 400 files. What is this madness!?

Most of my websites don't need to be updated as frequently as a "blog" or a news website. They don't need dynamic content either. They are out there to showcase or share things, to be viewed or read. However, all of them are currently on WordPress. Even when site contents remain unchanged and "static", I have to get back to it at least on a weekly basis to make sure that everything is safe and secure. This is a waste of time and energy. And the solution? Use what is actually needed, not what everyone else uses. The result will be fast and secure websites that will give me more time and space to focus on content.

What I did with this site is the first step in that direction. This used to be a WordPress website. After investigating into available alternatives, I decided to use nikola to replace WordPress. This is not the solution I am going to use for some of my other websites. I will use org-mode export and publishing to create and manage some sites while hand-writing some of the others.

Having said that, I really admire most of the things WordPress offers. It is still the first solution I recommend to anyone who wants to start a blog or a website. I also have sites that still require a decent search function and the ability to update on the go from different computers and phones. These sites will have to continue with WordPress until I find a decent alternative. I really hope that the classic editor or one of the markdown editors will remain in the mainstream at least for another couple of years.