Steve Faulkner tagged me in this chain letter/interview style post, and I foolishly agreed in advance to respond. So here we are 😂

Why did you start blogging in the first place?

When I started blogging two decades ago it was just to share thoughts and interesting posts. I had websites before, but being able to react very immediately to things was intriguing.

What platform are you using to manage your blog and why did you choose it?

I use Kirby, because it is file-based and allows me to use the HTML and CSS that I want to. It is incredibly versatile and I like how it lets you create your own building blocks and site templates from scratch.

Have you blogged on other platforms before?

I used to blog on Textpattern for many, many years, including when I ran Snookerblog. I loved it, but moved to Wordpress in 2014 for its IndieWeb integration. It was a terrible choice for me, and switched to Kirby not soon after. (I just remembered that I ran Jekyll and 11ty for a bit, and blogs with build steps are just not for me.)

How do you write your posts? For example, in a local editing tool, or in a panel / dashboard that’s part of your blog?

It really depends on how serious the article or post is. If it is longer form, I tend to grab iA Writer or Ulysses for structure and then move it over to the Kirby panel. But for posts like this one, I just write it in the Kirby panel. It’s great on desktop and acceptable on iPad and iPhone.

When do you feel most inspired to write?

I rarely do feel inspired to write these days. My “day job” involves a fair bit of writing, so doing additional writing feels like even more work. That said, I get motivated when I figure out new ways to explain something and occasionally when I’m angry.

Do you publish immediately after writing, or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?

I have plenty of drafts, they rarely get published. Usually, I discover that I have already written the article or the act of writing it down reveals that the topic was not worth writing about at all. I use my blog as a way to rubber-duck ideas. If I like an article and I have the feeling it is reasonably well written, it goes live immediately.

What are you generally interested in writing about?

Mostly about web accessibility, including the societal and educational problems that lead us to create inaccessible software and products.

Who are you writing for?

I don’t write for anyone in particular, but my articles skew technical, and so it’s probably mostly developers. And of course for my supporters on Steady:

Support Eric’s independent work

I'm a web accessibility professional who cares deeply about inclusion and an open web for everyone. I work with Axess Lab as an accessibility specialist. Previously, I worked with Knowbility, the World Wide Web Consortium, and Aktion Mensch. In this blog I publish my own thoughts and research about the web industry.

Sign up for a €5/Month Membership Subscribe to the Infrequent Newsletter Follow me on Mastodon

What’s your favorite post on your blog?

My recent post about WCAG 1.4.11 Non-Text Contrast is probably my favorite because I researched it really well and made numerous examples.

Any future plans for your blog? Maybe a redesign, a move to another platform, or adding a new feature?

I would love to redesign the blog, but I don’t really have time/energy at the moment. Plus, I’m reasonably happy with the look. I would like to restart taking comments eventually. There are always things that could be done differently.

Tag ’em

I‘ll try not to put to-do items on other people’s lists, so if you want to take these question and answer them, please do! And if not, I leave you with a Doctor Who quote:

The blossomiest blossom.
That’s the only sad thing.
I want to know what happens next.
Right then, Doctor-whoever-I’m-about-to-be.
Tag. You’re it.