Web development has become extremely dynamic in recent years, making it hard to track one’s own online footprint. I’ve been designing hundreds of websites and apps during the last 15 years for clients all around the world. However, my personal website has been frozen in time since 2008. The site was created using WordPress’s PHP/CSS templating system.
The Wake-Up Call: Post-Pandemic Reflections
The quarantine period has made me unable to collaborate in person with people I’ve been working with for years. In a way, it gave me a chance to think about how I’ve neglected myself in terms of digital footprint. In today’s world, being anonymous is not a virtue; the whole point of being a web developer is creating connections and making things. So why shouldn’t I use all my skills and knowledge for my own site? After all, I’m supposed to preach to my clients what I practice myself.
Technical Evolution: From PHP to NextJS
My personal website is still functional due to the ability of PHP/MySQL to handle everything that’s required from them. Moreover, security measures and spam protection are taken care of by plugins. Nevertheless, whenever I looked through someone else’s WordPress system, I could feel how neglected my own digital presence is. As a “code guy”, I couldn’t be satisfied with the older WYSIWYG editor of WordPress. The need to write actual code arose and led me to the decision to change the platform completely. Thus, I found a perfect solution in the form of the Magic-Portfolio – the next generation of once-ui and NextJS templates. I immediately fell in love with the magic portfolio and started editing Markdown files in my IDE while enjoying watching my changes turn into styled paragraphs. The whole process of working with the Magic-Portfolio took quite a bit of time due to my bad habit of bumping dependencies up and then fixing the resulting incompatibilities. However, it was an invaluable experience as far as keeping updated with modern technologies is always a must.
A New Digital Space
Moving from WordPress to NextJS isn’t simply moving between one technology and another; it is the beginning of something much more than that. It is about reconnecting with the broader development community, demonstrating what I can do, and who I am as a developer. I cannot thank the Magic-Portfolio team enough for igniting this process. I was once again reminded that having a personal site isn’t just having an online resume; it’s having an online version of myself. And now, with the launch of this new website, there is a sense of excitement for all that is yet to come. I have a place online where I can continue to evolve and change, reflecting on my journey as a developer and as an individual. Welcome to my new digital home. It is about time, but I have finally made it.
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