Web Witch Weekly: Issue 17

Principles of Web Accessibility, should you really rewrite an entire codebase, the browser as a medium for storytelling and more!

January 09, 2025

Welcome to issue 17 of Web Witch Weekly! After some time off for the holidays, I am easing back into work, both for my full-time job and my side projects. Much of my holiday break was spent reading and doing puzzles. It was lovely. Rather than diving headfirst into new year goals and resolutions, I’m taking a much slower approach this year, especially while winter has arrived in all her frosty glory in the UK, and the desire for slower, cozy evenings is abundant.

On the Web, About the Web

Principles Of Web Accessibility
Heydon Pickering lays out some very good principles for approaching web accessibility.

If I Could Wave a Magic Wand
I love this short piece about code rewrites and whether they’re necessary. How can we separate ourselves from a project and work on a solution that makes sense for what we’re trying to achieve.

Browser adaptation
Brad Woods uses the Lord of the Rings as an example about how a story can be adapted to different mediums — in this case, the browser, and what the browser offers as a medium.

How to Dehumanize Accessibility with AI
Ashlee Boyer dives into why an AI tool for accessibility is not the magic fix to inaccessible experiences and the why human accessibility experts should be hired.

🔊 Hey, Listen!

Igalia Chats: 2025 Web Wishes
Brian and Eric discuss listeners' answers to their question 'What are your wishes for the web platform in 2025', and share their own.

Tutorials & Tools

A simple masonry-like composable layout
Andy Bell walks us through how to make a masonry-like layout with CSS.

Book Highlight of the Week

Build a Large Language Model (From Scratch)

Learn how generative AI works with this step-by-step guide to build an LLM comparable to GPT-2. As you work through each key stage of LLM creation, you’ll develop an in-depth understanding of how LLMs work, their limitations, and their customization methods.

Outside the Web

A Scientist Says Humans Can Slow Time With Their Minds
Psychological processes may be disrupted and lead to something called “Time Expansions Experiences”…a little bit of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.

Hundreds of Dinosaur Footprints Emerge in U.K. Quarry Dig
Heralded as one of the most significant dinosaur track discoveries in over two decades.

How People of the Past Predicted the Future, From Spider Divination to Bibliomancy
Divination has long been a way to soothe humanity’s anxieties about the future. This article looks at some of the ways in different cultures that people did that.

Personal Bits

I haven’t even touched my 2024 recap that I usually write, but I did write a book recap, as I smashed my reading goal and found joy in prioritizing time reading, a habit I’m hoping to continue this year.

The Web Witch (Stephanie)

Some of the links in my newsletter may be affiliate links and I will receive a small commission at no cost to you and help support the newsletter.