Blogging

You can build a working static site generator in about 100 lines of Python. The result reads Markdown files from a content directory, parses their YAML front matter, converts the Markdown to HTML, wraps everything in Jinja2 templates, and writes the output to a public/ folder ready to be served by any web server. It is the same fundamental pipeline that powers tools like Hugo , Jekyll , and Eleventy - just stripped down to the essentials so you can see exactly how the pieces fit together.

For precise technical diagrams, prompt an LLM to output SVG or Mermaid.js syntax instead of pixel-based images. This creates lightweight, resolution-independent graphics that search engines can read. Vector formats offer performance and clarity that raster images simply can’t match.

Why SVG? The Case Against Raster Images for Technical Diagrams

Most bloggers use screenshots or PNG exports for diagrams. This habit seems easy but carries hidden costs. A PNG flowchart often weighs 100 KB to 400 KB. In contrast, the same SVG diagram usually stays between 5 KB and 20 KB. This huge difference improves Core Web Vitals metrics like Largest Contentful Paint. Better performance helps your search rankings.

Most blogs reach for Disqus on day one. It takes about five minutes to set up. What you don’t see at sign-up is the deal you’re making. Disqus is free because it monetizes your readers. Every person who loads your comment section gets tracked, profiled, and served ads. They never agreed to it. That’s just the business model behind the embed script you pasted into your template.

Remark42 changes the equation. It is a self-hosted, open-source comment engine built in Go. It ships as a single Docker image. It collects only the data needed to run a comment section, and nothing more. This guide walks through the whole setup. You’ll deploy Remark42 behind Nginx with HTTPS, wire it into a Hugo site, set up moderation, and keep your data safe with automated backups.

In 2026, the web has returned to its roots: speed, simplicity, and security. Static Site Generators (SSGs) are now the top pick for bloggers. You can focus on content and skip the worry about database holes or slow load times. These tools turn plain Markdown (.md) files into fast static HTML, so your blog is quick, SEO-friendly, and easy to host. Once it’s live, you can speed up repeat visits with a service worker that serves pages instantly from the browser cache.