the ether personified...

philia995
100 questions for webmasters

questionare by MOUSEcky at mouseling.net

1. Please introduce yourself.: my name is felix and i go by my webmaster alias philia, based off of the main character in the 2001 shunji iwai film "all about lily chou-chou".
2. How long have you been making websites?: since 2021 unofficially, 2022 officially under 'philia995'
3. And what got you into the hobby?: i took coding and computer science classes throughout middle school and high school. i realized python wasnt my forte and decided to continue html/css/js coding and use my personal website as an outlet for my creative endeavors.
4. What kind of website are you most interested in?: any personal websites that have a lot of thought put into them.
5. What's your workflow? Do you plan your websites out thoroughly or do you come up with the design as you go along?: first, i brainstorm and look through images to form sort of an idea of what i want to do. i then go straight into coding and make little tweaks here and there as i work.
6. Please link to your biggest inspirations.: earedworm.neocities.org, subtopia.neocities.org, humanfinny.neocities.org
7. What's your favourite part about making websites?: seeing all of my work come together in the end.
8. And the thing you struggle with the most?: staying on one project. i have so many projects i want to do and pages to revamp.
9. Do you keep the same layout on all of your pages? Or do you use different ones?: haha rarely, id say the only similar thing i keep between most pages is the left-aligned layout. i like to make most of my pages on the left side, its pleasing to me.
10. How confident are you with CSS?: very confident! i can do just about anything i want without issue when it comes to css.
11. Do you know how to correctly use <dl>?: i do, but i don't use it
12. What is your favourite HTML element?: <img> ;3
13. If you're making a new web page from scratch, what is the first thing you do?: i usually start by adding my title, icon, then styling the body.
14. Do you know JavaScript?: i do.
15. How about PHP?: not much.
16. Does your website have a theme that you stick to?: i don't think so, i'd rather not have a specific theme and do whatever comes to mind.
17. Are you more focused on content or design?: both equally.
18. Do you own a domain name? If not, would you ever want to?: not yet, i do eventually plan on making philia995.com a real thing.
19. What do you think of nostalgia-focused or "retro" websites?: i'd like to think of myself as one of them, they're some of my favorite sites on the internet.
20. Is your HTML valid? Do you even check?: uuuuhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm, i like to live on the edge B)
21. What are your opinion on buttons and banners?: i love em. and i love to make them! (email me...)
22. What do you think of button walls in particular?: i like them, button walls are so fun to look at. i specifically like categorized ones whether by color, vibe, etc. but i also think that it shouldn't be a requirement for linking a site you like. button walls & link pages should be inherently seperate. (although i sound hypocritical because my link page is not complete..)
23. If you started over again, would you make something similar or completely different?: hm. i've never thought of that. maybe i would try something different.
24. Are you envious of other people's websites?: not at all. i'm proud of my website and others inspire me.
25. What text editor do you use?: good ol' neocities text editor.
26. Why do you use that one?: i've been using it since i started making personal sites on neocities, its simple and it immediately updates my site.
27. Do you host your image files on your web server, or on another host?: i use file.garden mostly, ironic since i'm a neocities supporter i know... maybe one day i'll switch to my own hosting.
28. This might not be relevant to you, but what's your opinion on the Neocities vs. Nekoweb debate?: this is in fact irrelevant to me! i know nothing about that.. there's a debate? i use both.
29. How much server space would you estimate your main website takes up?: about 46 mb, not much.
30. Do you keep local backups of your files?: yes.
31. Do you prefer simple or highly visual websites?: i enjoy simplicity, i'm a sensitive person and can get overstimulated pretty easily, so i try to avoid overly bright and flashy websites (i send my love to them though).
32. Do you stick to certain colours? Do you do that on purpose, or is it your subconscious?: what started off as a subconscious decision created what i like to call my "site color", #fffffa has been used on every single one of my pages, i really just consider it an alternative to plain white.
33. Have you ever thought about quitting? Why?: not at all. my website is my safe place, if i really wanted to take a break from the social/community aspect, i would disable my neocities profile for a bit.
34. Do you have many webmaster friends, or is it a solitary hobby?: i do! i'm not a super social person and keep to myself, but i consider shenzi (monsieurdoll), callie (stagnant), and juno (fuchi) my webmaster friends since i have spoken to them a few times and they have my one personal social media.
35. Do people in your real life know about your website?: they do. my close friends know of my website and sometimes even complain about my clacky keyboard when were on the phone haha.
36. Do you update your website very often? How often is "very often"?: i'd say very often, almost daily. there are times when i take a break for a week up to a month though.
37. And the overall design, do you change that much? Why or why not?: i don't think so. for a while, i was changing things up a lot, but i've found my vibe and stick with it.
38. Is your website more you-focused, hobby-focused, or outside world-focused?: i'd say me-focused and hobby-focused.
39. Do you do web design professionally?: sort of. i have done professional work in the past. although i don't prefer it, professional websites suck the life out of me.
40. If not, would you like to? And if you're comfortable answering, what do you do for work?: i think it would ruin the hobby for me if i did it professionally. for work, i am a chef! :P
41. Do you communicate with people by email very much?: i do! i always check my email for inquires and email others if i have my own.
42. Some people reject social media and use websites as a replacement. Do you keep social media outside of your website?: although i don't prefer social media, i do have it to keep up with my friends and share my photography. instagram is really the only app i use social media wise.
43. How about instant messengers? Do you use a mainstream one like Discord or Telegram? Or something like Matrix? Do you avoid them?: i'm quite the gamer so i use discord mostly to talk to my friends. i'm not very active otherwise and i haven't spoken in a discord server in yearsss.
44. Do you listen to music while you work on websites? If so, what kinds of artists?: i do. it depends on what my mood is and what i'm working on. if i'm really focused, i'll put on classical or instrumental music like debussy. if i want to sing along, i'll listen to an artist i'm interested with at the moment. sometimes i listen to a certain album while coding.
45. Do you keep everything you make on one website, or do you have more than one?: just this one for now. i do have 3 other websites, but they are unfinished and archived at the moment.
46. On a similar note, do you keep to one topic on your site, or many?: many i think? i share whatever's on my mind.
47. Do you present your real self, or at least try? Or do you construct a persona on purpose?: i present my real self. if anything, i construct a persona in real life rather than online.
48. Have you ever made a good friend thanks to your website?: not sure, everyone i talk to prefers to keep to themselves as well haha!
49. Are you happy with the way HTML and CSS currently work?: fine with me. it's simple and i've been using it for too long for it to change again.
50. What are practices that you think people should avoid?: not spacing and indenting your lines. it causes your code to become messy and unreadable. i learned from experience. also, autoplay/loud sound effects.
51. What about under-utilised practices, or things you think people should do more?: i'd love to see css animations utilized more. i also think that while the design aspect of making pages is fun, that the content is just as important if not more so.
52. Do you use a lot of semantic HTML? Or are you guilty of generic structure?: i do not, i use <div> most of the time to keep it easy on myself.
53. Do you consider different browsers?: i've used firefox, chrome, pale moon, and opera.
54. Speaking of, what's your preferred browser? Convince your readers why they should use it.: i stick to chrome because i've used it for a long time. (while i don't particularly like chrome). personally.. i don't think you should use it. i'm just not very good with change.
55. And what OS are you on?: my main pc is windows, but my good old macbook i used to code this website originally is macos snow leopard (10.6.8).
56. Do you have a strong opinion on that, or do you just happen to use it?: i prefer windows mostly because it's what i know. i grew up with windows vista and even though my computer is operating on windows 11 i've modded it to look like vista. the less confusing the better.
57. Are your websites mobile-friendly?: i don't think so. all of my pages are made with desktop preferences in mind. although, i do try to make them friendly to all screen sizes big or small.
58. What are your thoughts on autoplay?: i don't.. hate autoplay per say...... but it always catches me off guard and makes me flinch mid web surf. i'd prefer if autoplay wasn't used to be honest.
59. What are your thoughts on webrings? Are you in any?: i like them. im in the websites for palestine and no ai webrings.
60. Do you have any web shrines? What do you like to see in that sort of page?: i have a few and i'm also working on a few. i like the great walls of text providing information on the thing they're so passionate about :)
61. Are your websites "cliche", in your opinion?: i don't think so.
62. What is your ideal website? Are you striving for that, or for something else?: a peek into the webmaster's mind. pages filled with thoughts on anything under the sun. yes, i'm striving for just that.
63. Are you an artist? Do you draw or design your own assets?: i am. while i'm mostly a physical artist, i am very handy in graphic design and design most of my assets. most images i use do not belong to me though, and i credit art if i use it.
64. What are your favourite resource sites?: salvaged.nu and gifcities.org
65. Is there a habit you just can't get away from no matter how hard you try?: hm.. maybe using the same fonts? i have my favorites!
66. What's your biggest advice for a new webmaster?: don't compare yourself to other sites, everyone starts somewhere.
67. Do you keep all your styling in CSS? Or do you hard-code some?: css.. oh how i love css..
68. What do you think of frameset layouts?: technically what i've been doing for my index page all these years... i think it's nice but sometimes especially in certain styles it can be overused.
69. How about table-based layouts?: i respect the dedication. personally, i don't have the patience.
70. Do you subscribe to the ideas of "one-column", "two-column" and "three-column" layouts? Do you use any of these?: i don't really care what people do with their layouts to be honest.
71. Do you spend longer on the HTML or the CSS?: definitely the css.
72. Have you ever made a page with no CSS? It's useful for your thoughts.: nope. i'm too eccentric for that.
73. Do you ever find yourself making layouts with nothing to put on them? Or do you only make layouts when the need arises?: i find myself having more ideas of what to put in a layout rather than empty layouts if that makes sense. i struggle to create a design rather than come up with the text.
74. Would you consider yourself a beginner? Or advanced? Somewhere in the middle?: coding is my second language. although i may not be as advanced as some webmasters, i can be a good teacher to any beginners.
75. Do you have a habit of looking at the source code of websites you visit?: i rarely look at the source code of websites unless they did something i've never seen before, then i get curious.
76. How did YOU learn how to make websites?: i'm self-taught. i started off using the basic html/css skills i picked up from coding and computer science classes, then taught myself the rest using w3schools.com and forums for when i had a more specific question.
77. Do you ever force elements to do things they're not supposed to?: i used to, but not anymore.
78. Thoughts on floating elements?: i like them if they are used right. i am guilty of using them incorrectly during my early days. i do hate when a floating element is in the way of other content.
79. When you're sizing stuff, what do you use first? Do you use px, em, %, or something else?: i prefer px. i literally use a ruler and count pixels sometimes. it's that serious. (lol)
80. Do you have a favourite font?: ms ui gothic and times new roman are my rock. design-wise, i love "mtf memory" by miss tiina.
81. Would you run a website with another person? How would that work?: i would! especially a close friend of mine. i've always thought about running a fan site with someone.
82. Do you surf the Web to find new personal websites very often?: i do. i love to discover new sites i haven't seen before.
83. Do you bookmark other people's websites? How would you feel knowing someone else bookmarked yours?: i do! i have a big folder of bookmarked sites i frequent. i'd be happy to know if someone bookmarked my site. :)
84. What do you want people to be most impressed with when they see your website?: my dedication to the topics i speak so highly about. maybe my use of cohesive color palettes and design too.
85. Are you interested in technology outside of websites? Do you collect?: i do love technology, specifically old tech. i collect small things here and there like digicams, flip phones, ipods, etc.
86. How often and for how long are you online?: i am online every day unless out of town. i'd say i spend around 2-4 hours a day on my computer unless i'm deep in a project.
87. When it comes to your website, who is your target audience?: anyone really, especially those who love lily chou-chou.
88. Have you ever been interested in XHTML?: i can't say i have.
89. Do you program in general? Have you ever written a program for use with or on your website, not counting simple JavaScript?: i'm not much of a programmer, but it's on my list of many things i want to learn.
90. Speaking of programs that help you make websites, what do you think of static site generators (SSGs)? Have you ever used one?: i don't care for them and don't use them.
91. Do you keep a hitcounter? Why or why not?: i do, just for fun. it reminds me of old sites i'd visit as a kid, but views don't really matter to me.
92. Do you frequent forums? Which ones?: i do not.
93. Do you write your page content directly into the editor, or do you prepare it elsewhere, like a text document or a Word document?: directly into the editor.. sigh
94. Do you think you appear cool to others? A more accurate answer now: do other people ever say you're cool?: i don't think so, i'm a bit of a dork. i have been told i'm cool before yes.
95. Are you embarrassed of your old work? Have you ever deleted everything out of shame?: i am very embarrassed of my old work... but it's endearing. i was just learning back then. i can't say i've deleted anything out of shame though.
96. Would you close down your website if you couldn't update it, or would you leave an archive?: if for some reason i am no longer able to update my site, it will stay up as an archive.
97. Do you reveal a lot about yourself on your website? Or are you more secretive?: kind of. i reveal the surface of myself here. things like what media i enjoy, my favorite color, etc. i can't say i'm comfortable writing a whole vent blog or anything, especially with all of the traffic i get now. i feel like i share a bit more than i want already.
98. Are you willing to reveal who your best online friend is, and/or if they have a website?: i'd rather keep it private, none of them have websites though.
99. And do you optimise the images on your website?: i do not... but i don't think i use enough images to need to. the only pages that have a lot of images are my photography and collections pages, and even then they load quickly.
100. We're out of time! How do you feel after answering 100 questions? ....other than exhausted.: phew. accomplished?