Vale

https://fedi.vale.rocks/users/vale

Front-end developer, designer, writer, and avid user of the superpowered information superhighway.

Website: https://vale.rocks
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vale.rocks
Donate/Tip: https://vale.rocks/support

Public Key

npub1fs69n2f28eumgdf3l9qwkaa58xm73wz56vzksdypku2v895puays78tlr3

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsycdze4y4ru7d5x5cljs8tw76rndlghp2dxptgxjqmw9xrj6q7wjgpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds6lpv2m

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1fs69n2f28eumgdf3l9qwkaa58xm73wz56vzksdypku2v895puays78tlr3

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Last Notes

2026-04-27 06:21:10 GMT

Communism works on paper but fails in practice. Wikipedia fails on paper but works in practice. All my ideas fail on paper and then are proven failures in practice.

2026-02-12 12:19:18 GMT

Over at Stoat we're rolling out our new brand resources, including a fresh, hip, eye-catching, and rather cute icon designed by yours truly. Was really exciting getting to create it for Stoat!
The icon and further details can be found here:
https://vale.rocks/portfolio/stoat
#Stoat #StoatChat

2026-02-06 14:19:09 GMT

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I read the first few chapters of *The God Delusion* after a friend raved to me about it. I eventually had to give up on it because Dawkins came across as such an egotistical jerk, and, much like you, I found his writing to be repetitive and laborious ad nauseum.
My decision to give up on the book was only solidified by reading his Wikipedia article. Yikes.

2026-01-20 11:51:13 GMT

Proud to announce TechConf.Directory, a directory of tech conferences around the globe.
I've found it quite difficult to find conferences. That is true no more!
I've made all the data fully open and available via a fully queryable API as well.
https://techconf.directory
#Conferences #Tech #Programming

2026-01-09 05:03:33 GMT

One of the most horrific codebases I've ever seen is one in which all the styling was done using Tailwind's `@apply`. No utility classes in markup, just CSS files full of selectors and `@apply`. They had inexplicably reinvented CSS in Tailwind, and it struck fear into my very heart.
#Tailwind #CSS

2026-01-05 05:28:23 GMT

Haven't got an Apple device but need to test your site in Safari? Go into the Apple Store and test on their demo computers.
They *probably* won't kick you out. It usually takes them a while to catch on.
#WebDevTips #FrontEndDev

2025-12-18 04:59:19 GMT

A rant in the face of the industry's continued neglect and outright hostility towards digital accessibility and care for users.
https://vale.rocks/posts/accessibility-importance
#WebDev #Accessibility #a11y #FrontEndDevelopment

2025-12-12 05:49:06 GMT

I wanted to be able to access all the books on my Jellyfin instance with my Kindle, so I put together a little plugin for KOReader. It even has Quick Connect so you don't have to write out your full password by hand!
https://github.com/DeclanChidlow/KOReader-Jellyfin-Plugin
#Jellyfin #KOReader #Kindle

2025-11-27 08:07:37 GMT

https://fedi.vale.rocks/media/fdfa7261f1f4981c18c030712d0fd91e338a1049b7f9d200f405d4ee1b7aea83.png

2025-11-03 06:19:15 GMT

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Regarding the very early Stampy's Lovely World episodes, he occasionally says 'bloody' in the very early ones. YouTube Kids doesn't have any of these included obviously, but if they're watching on standard YouTube then you might want to skip straight through to episode 100 by which point everything is very much polished and he is very aware of his audience.

2025-11-03 06:14:17 GMT

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I personally break at Blippi. I only managed to listen to Milo for a picosecond before hurling my computer out a window.
I remember being on a plane once and the child diagonally in front of me was watching Blippi on repeat. I don't even think they had the volume on, but I could hear him within my head tormenting me.

2025-11-03 05:59:44 GMT

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I am a child of the Minecraft era, and thus hopefully well equipped to answer this.
The version of Minecraft available on Android is referred to as the 'Bedrock' edition. Most YouTubers play on the original version of Minecraft which is only available on PC and is called the 'Java Edition'. Both codebases are developed and maintain relative parity while getting the same updates. Some specific things might not work, and far less mods are available for the bedrock version, but they're largely the same.
When I was young, Stampy was a go-to of mine. His [Stampy's Lovely World](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEZiAg2bYC7ngh-_Z_ruvzSfn1KPQRL5V) series is scripted, kid friendly, respectable, and long-running. He also created an educational children's series titled [Wonder Quest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Quest). You *might* find his voice and laughter a tad grating.
More recent active creators I'm familiar with include [Grian](https://www.youtube.com/@Grian) and [Mumbo Jumbo](https://www.youtube.com/@ThatMumboJumbo). Both are active and members of a large community Minecraft multiplayer sever titled 'Hermitcraft'. Hermitcraft Season 11 is about to start very soon (Nov 8th). The seasons are all independent of one another, and while there are callbacks to older ones, one needn't have watched them for a full experience.
There are a wide assortment of members of the Hermitcraft server. Some are targeted towards younger viewers, and some are more targeted towards mature viewers (though aren't adult in nature). Watching some of the more mature YouTubers creating content on the server could give you a common ground with your kids if you're so inclined.
Grian is rather mischievous and focuses much more on building, and Mumbo Jumbo is much more into redstone, which is the technical/engineering part of Minecraft. Both are family friendly and have large backlogs.
Happy to answer further questions and provide more recommendations if needed.

2025-10-28 08:46:40 GMT

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Ah, this is what I get for quickly testing with other WebKit browsers rather than actual Safari. Seems Safari forces it's own.

2025-10-28 08:21:49 GMT

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Twenty-eight!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/myVjEPQ
I see tons of custom JavaScript media players, so I wanted to see how a CSS-only approach to `<audio>` fares. This one doesn't work in Firefox, unfortunately.

2025-10-27 11:53:04 GMT

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Day twenty-seven.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/ogbyaGw
Embracing my inner [Dwitter](https://dwitter.net).

2025-10-26 07:52:40 GMT

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The twenty-sixth day.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/WbryGqa
A two-finger input system that feels pretty fun and futuristic.

2025-10-25 08:58:57 GMT

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Day twenty-five!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/bNEMyPG
I'm experimenting with a retro tech look as part of a bigger project.

2025-10-24 12:21:30 GMT

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二十四
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/xbZjYPr
Your CSS muse pushed their physical form to the limits, and their dainty writer hands are decimated and weak from rock climbing. This CSS is tainted by blood.

2025-10-23 09:32:56 GMT

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I didn't even know a month had twenty three days.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/OPMvGrw
I initially made this as an experiment with Three.js in February, but I've touched it up and published it today. That counts... right?

2025-10-22 07:23:23 GMT

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Twenty two.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/azdYZRg
Playing around with nested `<marquee>` tags and opposing directions to get odd text animation effects different from what one usually expects from a `<marquee>`.

2025-10-21 07:27:54 GMT

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Twenty one!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/JoGpvER
I had some fun with tables on day nineteen, but evidently not enough. Tables get way out of whack when you get too zany with them.

2025-10-20 12:42:39 GMT

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The twentieth day! My my!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/vELdLMz
The ruby tags have always been interesting to me, so I figured I'd try an interesting implementation. Bit disruptive, but sorta fun.

2025-10-19 06:16:16 GMT

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Day nineteen.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/ogbpMvv
Tables are rather fun to play with.

2025-10-18 07:29:10 GMT

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The eighteenth day.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/dPGJvGV
This idea using `<details>` popped into my head and I had to get it out.

2025-10-17 07:51:50 GMT

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Day seventeen.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/RNrjOPy
After spending ages failing to implement something with anchor positioning, I decided to blow things up.

2025-10-16 09:18:57 GMT

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Day sixteen is here.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/EaPbWmv
Super saturates the area under the cursor. Dead simple effect but really cool result.

2025-10-16 05:00:35 GMT

Next time I write `display: absolute`, just kill me.

2025-10-15 08:44:58 GMT

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Day fifteen.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/XJXexQL
The output of failed attempt of doing something else.

2025-10-14 07:09:42 GMT

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Day fourteen.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/GgoMJEr
Nothing remotely impressive today, merely an idea that popped into my head and that I wanted to experiment with.

2025-10-13 11:08:07 GMT

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We've reached the teens with day thirteen!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/pvgrKYB
A basic but fun exploding text effect.

2025-10-12 04:22:41 GMT

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Twelve days deep.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/emJEpvz
I've gotta stop doing these mathy ones. I am not a maths manic, and these drive me into delusional mathematical mania.

2025-10-11 07:46:55 GMT

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Eleven days in!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/raxwPVb
It is bubble-wrap made with checkboxes. They 'pop' when you click them. Leave me alone.

2025-10-10 07:07:16 GMT

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Day ten!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/zxrzNKw
A spinny animation orbiting thingamabob.

2025-10-10 06:11:52 GMT

I saw this place when I was in Malaysia.
All I could think of were weblogs. It overwhelmed my thoughts and consumed my mind each time I saw it. I'm too far gone.
Cool blog, dude.
#Blogging #Blog #IndieWeb
https://fedi.vale.rocks/media/de2dd401be40876f1f5d4fcd762410ad0f62ff487ecb9dec364336218529754d.avif

2025-10-09 08:01:23 GMT

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On the ninth day, blobby lads showed up to watch you log in to your accounts.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/NPxjzzm

2025-10-08 08:06:25 GMT

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Coming in hot with day eight!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/MYKppPM
A full simulation of two opposing colonies which feud over resources. Is this partly a commentary on the futility of conflict when all parties would be better off staying within their means and remaining peaceful? Perhaps.

2025-10-07 09:54:39 GMT

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Day seven.
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/QwypMYz
Phoned it in today. Back in full force tomorrow!

2025-10-06 05:15:13 GMT

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The sixth day!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/ZYQLjJo
Yesterday there was a cube. Today, there is a sphere.

2025-10-05 05:44:32 GMT

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Day five!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/dPGNpyX
'Tis a cube that rotates. What more could one wish for?

2025-10-04 07:12:17 GMT

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Next up is day four!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/WbroPee
Play around with the rules const to alter the tree's structure.

2025-10-03 07:57:17 GMT

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Here is day three!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/EaPNPzX
An eye made out of CSS. Rather freaky.

2025-10-02 08:22:52 GMT

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Here is day two!
https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/zxrKRRL
A dark viewport that gets just a little bit livelier with each and every click.

2025-10-01 05:59:45 GMT

I'm going to make an effort to post a new CodePen every day through October.
I haven't been doing nearly enough creative coding as of late, so it'll be nice to have an outlet.
Here is day one: https://codepen.io/OuterVale/pen/ZYQOmog
#CodePen #CreativeCoding

2025-09-18 05:49:14 GMT

Generative AI output has passed the point of being distinguishable, and I'm saying that as someone fairly in the know. I can no longer discern AI content generated by cutting-edge models from other media.
Here are some thoughts regarding that.
<https://vale.rocks/posts/detecting-ai>
#ArtificialIntelligence #AI #LLMs

2025-09-17 05:38:53 GMT

I heard a rumour that they're releasing HTML6 next week, which deprecates semantics and introduces 3 new types of `<div>`.
Can't wait!
#HTML #WebDev

2025-07-10 13:48:33 GMT

I updated my article on my usage of artificial intelligence today.
The main new additions are further notes on usage for writing and coding specifically.
https://vale.rocks/posts/ai-usage
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #LLM

2025-06-18 00:28:56 GMT

I went to a bank and put a really high negative margin on all the money inside. This offset was enough for it to appear outside the bank, allowing me to abscond with it.
Learn more neat tricks like this in my upcoming book, CSS for Crime.
#CSS #CSSTips #WebDev

2025-06-03 06:54:11 GMT

What is it with big corps trying to make "everything apps"? We've already got apps that do everything.
Web browsers. I'm talking about web browsers. Just invest in the web. It isn't hard.

2025-05-31 06:18:23 GMT

This just in: \
People shocked as venture capital backed company with good product/service that was operated unsustainably and at a loss to draw in users enshittifies as backers scramble for return on investment.
"I'm shocked", says one user of the product/service. "I know this exact thing has happened every other time without fail, but I thought this time would be different."

2025-05-01 11:02:57 GMT

I put together a little post about my writing mannerisms.
I'd once again like to blame @npub1z3m…zn2f for his provocation. He can't keep getting away with this! I should block his domain...
https://vale.rocks/posts/writing-style-and-mannerisms
#Writing #Writer #Blogging

2025-04-04 13:17:46 GMT

I just posted a rant about behaviour in the open-source community with an emphasis on user entitlement.
https://vale.rocks/posts/open-source-entitlement
#Rant #SoftwareDevelopment #OpenSource #FOSS

2025-03-05 12:45:26 GMT

Bing Webmaster Tools just generally suck, yeah? Surely it can't just be me that finds them super buggy and can rarely get them to index anything.
Does anyone have experience with them working nicely?

2025-02-15 12:45:12 GMT

[*AI is Stifling Tech Adoption*](https://vale.rocks/posts/ai-is-stifling-tech-adoption) has seen response beyond anything I've ever written before and has prompted some really interesting discussion.
In particular, I've enjoyed @npub15z3…0xrp 's take in his article on That HTML Blog.
https://thathtml.blog/2025/02/we-need-to-talk-about-anti-web-coding-assistants/
#FrontEndDev #WebDev
#note1xev…3s5k

2025-02-13 06:17:46 GMT

I just published a blog post about how AI models are influencing the adoption of new technology and stagnating change.
Go have a squizz.
https://vale.rocks/posts/ai-is-stifling-tech-adoption
#AI #React #ChatGPT #Claude

2025-01-17 00:12:15 GMT

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I manually mirror each and every one. I wish I had a slick little syndication step, though, as I also manually mirror my posts to my site.
Part of why I haven't automated things (beyond it being difficult) is because sometimes I change things to better fit the platform. Notably, I'll cut things off or shorten phrasing on Bluesky and be more verbose with fancier markup on my site.
I'd like people to be able to hang out where they want to, with the best experience they can have. My only worry is that I might be annoying to people following on multiple platforms, or the people I'm replying to.

2025-01-16 23:45:01 GMT

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Nice Rolodex! Lots of great sites to look through there. I can see myself circling back to this page.
Looks like you're aware of the slight shortcomings, but I'll mention that I reckon' kinetic scroll would be a lot of fun.

2025-01-07 23:44:55 GMT

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Radicool. I'll have to give 'em a look. You're a bit of an inspiration for mine, given your coining of 'slashpages'.

2025-01-05 03:07:24 GMT

Just started compiling some of my favourite blogs on my site.
https://vale.rocks/links
I'm certain I'm missing tons, so please let me know of your favourites!
#Blogs #Blogging #Writing #IndieWeb #FrontEndDev #WebDev

2024-09-23 06:29:07 GMT

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Still up in Australia. Seems like Google just doesn't care.
Quite a questionable set of permissions it requests as well.

2024-09-06 15:41:27 GMT

@npub1sf7…gl68 @npub1t0w…zgs2 Is this CodePen app legit? The listing feels off and I don't see it mentioned on the site.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.codepen.android.sourcecodes