Build for the web using the web.
Hello and welcome to THE SPICY WEB! I’m Jared White (@jaredwhite@indieweb.social). I’ve been a professional web developer and blogger for many years, and I’m also the creator of the progressive site generator Bridgetown. I care deeply about the open web, open source, developer happiness, minimizing complexity, and educating the next generation of creators and producers on the web.
You might want to read my manifesto here on the homepage if you haven’t already, since it explains a bit about what I’m trying to pull off.
The genesis of the “Spicy Web” name came from my thoughts on the term “JS sprinkles”. Some time ago, particularly with the release of Stimulus, I started hearing this term thrown about. Oh, you don’t need a huge JavaScript frontend framework to get anything done. Simply sprinkle some JavaScript on your HTML, like this.
But just like the term “vanilla” which doesn’t sound super-exciting, the term “sprinkles” makes me think of those rainbow-colored sugary bits you sprinkle on your vanilla ice cream. I hate to admit this, but I don’t like rainbow sprinkles or vanilla ice cream. 😅
So I started wondering what term I could use instead, and I thought of spices. Aha, now we’re talking! When cooking an exquisite entrée, you start from the basics using your core ingredients and then add spices along the way to take things to the next level.
And that’s what I’m teaching here. How to start building websites and applications from core ingredients and adding spices (complicated JavaScript, abstracted frameworks, ambitious build tools, etc.) only when and where they’re needed. Spices are wonderful when used in moderation, and not too many of them all at once. Just be careful you don’t let them overwhelm the main dish.
I also host a Discord chat server which covers all of these themes, and it’s free to join!
So please, step right on in to THE SPICY WEB community and let’s stand together for a better, brighter future of the web and the people who make it.
