Gregory's ServerI read this today on the fediverse: "I don’t think [static site generators] work for regular people - too much command line for grandma to use."
This is a surprisingly common sentiment among many people, on which I'd like to weigh in:
1) Conflating static site generation with "terminal interface" is technically wrong and conceptually counterproductive. I think part of why there isn't so much experimentation and diversity in the SSG space is because so many people are stuck with a mindset of the past (Tom-Preston Werner's «Blogging Like a Hacker»¹ was back in 2008!) instead of cultivating an awareness and imagination for what already is (and what else could be) there instead.
2) I don't know how far accessibility of SSGs can be pushed for general audiences in the end and where we will meet hard boundaries, but I feel that there is still so much untapped potential and space to try things, and not so many people taking notice or trying to go there. Be courageous and explore!
3) Correct usage of "grandma" is for instance "My grandma wrote a python script to detect reactionary jokes on the fediverse, and today she found a particularly bad one". The term the author was looking for is "non-technical audience". You're welcome, author!
¹ https://tom.preston-werner.com/2008/11/17/blogging-like-a-hacker
@freebliss Agreed! Also it tends to bifurcate in two directions: either local command line or cloud contraption. Very little in between. Last year we wrote this: In the five years between our initial release and this one, to our surprise, no robust and user-friendly application for static site generators has appeared that could replace our current workflow. Several projects exist, but these are all dependent on proprietary cloud services. A usable graphical interface for static site generators is still where key contributions to this field can be made.
https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2023/06/rebuilding-a-solar-powered-website/
@freebliss Agreed! Also it tends to bifurcate in two directions: either local command line or cloud contraption. Very little in between. Last year we wrote this: In the five years between our initial release and this one, to our surprise, no robust and user-friendly application for static site generators has appeared that could replace our current workflow. Several projects exist, but these are all dependent on proprietary cloud services. A usable graphical interface for static site generators is...