Moving from WordPress to a static site generator series
This is my journey self-migrating from a self-hosted WordPress site to a static site generator (SSG).
Choosing a static site generator
What I knew I wanted (ease-of-use) and didn’t want (“ease of use”) out of static site generators (SSGs).
Deploying my site
I scheduled a full day to try deploying my new site on a new host on a completely new service for me. It took six minutes.
Creating reusable content
I modularized my presentations and tools experience so they could display in different contexts across the site.
Creating the content strategy and information architecture
Working as a writer, content strategist, and developer helped me understand how to orchestrate between the three roles.
Creating a homepage template using AI
I use Google Gemini and GitHub Copilot to create Nunjucks templates for my static site.
Learning about SSG templates
Templates are what makes static site generators work. They take your content and tell the SSG how to display it.
Moving to Eleventy SSG
The good news is there are a lot of static site generators to choose from, and that they all work similarly. The bad news is there are a lot of static site generators to choose from, and that they all work similarly.
Styling a web site using Tailwind CSS
Wherein I learn how far stylesheets have come since the 1990s.
Static site takeaways
A frustrating process (and situation) is ultimately satisfying in multiple ways.
Using a virtual development environment
Working in a Linux virtual environment helped me focus, learn, and detach from my everyday Windows environment.
Writing opportunities for technical writers
When using open-source documentation, quality varies. Technical writers who want to have writing samples freely available have plenty of options to contribute.