100 Questions for Webmasters

Mood: Dull anxiety
Reading: Nothing
Watching: Nothing
Listening to: Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Eating: Butter chicken pie
Drinking: Water

1. Please introduce yourself.

Hi! I'm Ally, professional old hag and I like playing on my computer

2. How long have you been making websites?

Since 2016 in my highschool digital class, though they were never publically online and lived on my school's intranet

3. And what got you into the hobby?

I really enjoyed that highschool dig class lol. After that I discovered Neocities via a Whang! video and the rest was history.

4. What kind of website are you most interested in?

Websites covering things I am also interested in, such as kawaii fashion and lifestyle, crafts, shojo and BL fangirling. I grew up in the mid 2010s girlblogging era so i love a good blog.

5. What's your workflow? Do you plan your websites out thoroughly or do you come up with the design as you go along?

I usually plan the layout and base content and then add the actual deco elements later. I like to draw my layout roughly on paper beforehand.

6. Please link to your biggest inspirations.

I don't actually have any specific inspirations for my site as a whole, which is probably why it's so unaesthetic. I'm really just inspired by my memories of reading blogs in the early 2010s and also whatever I find that I like the look of.

7. What's your favourite part about making websites?

Searching for/creating/editing materials

8. And the thing you struggle with the most?

basic html/css

9. Do you keep the same layout on all of your pages? Or do you use different ones?

All of my CSS is inline so I can commit a new crime on each page!

10. How confident are you with CSS?

As confident as a man is 6 beers in when he picks up his car keys.

11. Do you know how to correctly use <dl>?

no lol

12. What is your favourite HTML element?

Umm... I guess I like a plain ol div.

13. If you're making a new web page from scratch, what is the first thing you do?

copy paste my html head template.

14. Do you know JavaScript?

I know of it... I know enough to be able to steal someone else's code

15. How about PHP?

See JS but like a bit less...

16. Does your website have a theme that you stick to?

I think the only real theme is it's just stuff I like

17. Are you more focused on content or design?

I like to think I'm more content focused, but also I'm well aware that many people view my site's content as very superficial. I generally have an idea of content before my layout.

18. Do you own a domain name? If not, would you ever want to?

I own allyratworld.com! Kind of a boring domain. If I could go back and redo I'd want to go with something more kawaii uwu

19. What do you think of nostalgia-focused or "retro" websites?

I like em! I especially love the outdated aesthetic of old kawaii blogs. I'm only ever annoyed by them when they have absolutely no content.

20. Is your HTML valid? Do you even check?

I already know it's not valid so why would I check?

21. What are your opinion on buttons and banners?

I loooove them, they're so cute and fun. I love the idea of trying to condense your entire website into a tiny little button. How are you going to say "click me!!" with so few pixels, ykno?

22. What do you think of button walls in particular?

I adore them! I know a lot of people think they're tacky and a bad way to list links but idc I think they're fun.

23. If you started over again, would you make something similar or completely different?

I would probably make something very similar, just with a different name and better code and setup. I do have some interest in rebuilding my site from the ground up on another host, I'm just incredibly lazy and so haven't gotten around to it yet. I also won't be getting around to it any time in the near future.

24. Are you envious of other people's websites?

No? I have websites I admire deeply, but I wouldn't want to have another person's website. I guess I'm envious of people who are more knowledgeable than me in terms of webdev but that's something I could fix if I put my mind to it.

25. What text editor do you use?

To build pages: VScode. To write blogs/content: notepad. To make small updates to pre-existing pages: Neocities code editor *horrified gasp* I like to update my site on my laptop and phone ok??

26. Why do you use that one?

I use VScode because it's good. I write in Notepad because it's easy, everywhere and I feel weird writing my blogs straight into VScode or Neocities.

27. Do you host your image files on your web server, or on another host?

I host them on Neocities! I really don't see why you wouldn't host your images locally if you use neocities as they give you an absurd amount of space if you practise responsible image compression. I also want to avoid my site breaking as much as possible. For throwaway images like on my blog I use Tumblr.

28. This might not be relevant to you, but what's your opinion on the Neocities vs. Nekoweb debate?

I've been on Neocities since the beginning of 2019. I see to mainly complaints about the "neocities community" but like... It's just a webhost you don't have to talk to other people who use your webhost. I use Neocities out of sheer laziness.

29. How much server space would you estimate your main website takes up?

My site stats say my site takes up 427.03MB of storage and uses around 13.5 GB of bandwidth a month. If that means anything to anyone.

30. Do you keep local backups of your files?

I try to remember to do a backup every few months just in case. Neocities is the passion project of one dude after all, you never know if he'll get bored of it and take the whole thing down.

31. Do you prefer simple or highly visual websites?

I like looking at stuff!!! I love a pretty layout and I also love site content with lots of photos.

32. Do you stick to certain colours? Do you do that on purpose, or is it your subconscious?

I like pink because I'm a bubblegum pink sweet lolita. Duh.

33. Have you ever thought about quitting? Why?

Oh yeah! Some of you people are weird as hell. I've gotten some incredibly weird emails and messages from you people. You sicken me. Apart from that I also sometimes just loose interest in my site, but I usually come back eventually.

34. Do you have many webmaster friends, or is it a solitary hobby?

I didn't for a long time until uh 2021? When I finally started reaching out and now I do! I have some wonderful penpals and I even met up with one of my webmistress friends in Japan!

35. Do people in your real life know about your website?

Yeah, my friends know because I like to show it to them sometimes.

36. Do you update your website very often? How often is "very often"?

Big updates are sparse, but little updates are pretty often as I use my site to track my anime watching. Proper updates are like maybe once a month? I use the site more as a place to display things I've done in the real world so I don't really spend a lot of time on it..

37. And the overall design, do you change that much? Why or why not?

I very rarely change the design of my pages once they're live. Usually I just slowly make changed until the entire thing becomes different. But I do revamp every couple years. I just kind of do things whenever I feel like it?

38. Is your website more you-focused, hobby-focused, or outside world-focused?

Me and hobby focused.

39. Do you do web design professionally?

Nope, I work at a thrift store.

40. If not, would you like to? And if you're comfortable answering, what do you do for work?

I would do it if the industry was still taking in newbies and paying really well, but it isn't.

41. Do you communicate with people by email very much?

A decent amount! I don't like commenting publicly or using public discord servers because I don't like all those eyes on me and I don't chat 1 on 1 on Discord much because it feels like such a big step to ask for someone's Discord, so email is a great in-between! I also like how I can write a whole lot at once like it's a letter.

42. Some people reject social media and use websites as a replacement. Do you keep social media outside of your website?

Oh yeah I'm a big social media user. I looove Instagram, use it every day. I like keeping up with my IRLs, looking at lolita coords and just general pretty Insta stuff. I also use Twitter for fujo activities and Facebook for craft groups and IRL local community stuff.

43. How about instant messengers? Do you use a mainstream one like Discord or Telegram? Or something like Matrix? Do you avoid them?

I use Discord for social stuff (mostly for internet friends and my country's lolita community) and Facebook Messenger for my IRLs and family.

44. Do you listen to music while you work on websites? If so, what kinds of artists?

Yes, I listen to mainly rock, 00s pop punk and kaweewee jpop. I often listen to CDs on my CD player.

45. Do you keep everything you make on one website, or do you have more than one?

I have everything on my allyratworld.com domain hosted on Neocities because it's the only one I have. I'm cheap and lazy. I would someday like to purchase another cuter domain.

46. On a similar note, do you keep to one topic on your site, or many?

My site covers many topics, anything I'm interested in. I guess a running theme with my site's content is everything is pretty feminine?

47. Do you present your real self, or at least try? Or do you construct a persona on purpose?

I present a small part of the real me. I am genuine in all of the interests I show on this site, but don't think you know me just because you've read my blog. Who I am on my website is who I am when I go to an anime convention or a lolita meet up or partake in oshikatsu. It's not the person I am at work or out for drinks with friends or visiting family.

48. Have you ever made a good friend thanks to your website?

Yes! I met my friends Koinuko and Ellie who no longer keeps a website.

49. Are you happy with the way HTML and CSS currently work?

Yes? I'm kind of way too dumb to speak on stuff like this. It's a miracle that I built a website at all.

50. What are practices that you think people should avoid?

Autoplay music and overly heavy/poor use of absolute values. Also it's really not hard to make your site functional on various screen sizes.

51. What about under-utilised practices, or things you think people should do more?

@media (max-width: ) and display:none you have got to stop making a website that implodes on a slightly smaller desktop screen.

52. Do you use a lot of semantic HTML? Or are you guilty of generic structure?

I don't know what that means :)

53. Do you consider different browsers?

I try to! I do my best to test pages in Chrome, Firefox and Edge to make sure nothing explodes.

54. Speaking of, what's your preferred browser? Convince your readers why they should use it.

Chrome because im a FUCKING NORMIE

55. And what OS are you on?

windows 11 because im a FUCKING NORMIE I do kind of hate it, though.

56. Do you have a strong opinion on that, or do you just happen to use it?

I just happen to use it. I kind of wish I would switch to Firefox bc I like the work the Mozilla foundation does and also bc I like the lil cute fox logo.

57. Are your websites mobile-friendly?

Mostly! To the best of my ability at least. Nothing is totally non viewable on a phone, though sometimes you may need to zoom out.

58. What are your thoughts on autoplay?

hate it.

59. What are your thoughts on webrings? Are you in any?

I like them! They can be a fun way to find other sites on subjects you enjoy. I don't often use the actual ring widgets and prefer to browse a members list. I'm not a fan of generic webrings, I prefer ones on specific topics, interests or aesthetics.

60. Do you have any web shrines? What do you like to see in that sort of page?

I do, though I admit none of mine are very good. I enjoy including links to resources on the topic, making lists and including lots of pictures! I would love to be one of those people who can make super informative shrines and fanpages, but I simply am not that kind of person. I admire those who are though.

61. Are your websites "cliche", in your opinion?

Oh allyratworld.com is the most generic chick blog site and I'm fully aware of it. I'm not ashamed to be a generic and cliche women. I'm just like other girls and I'm very proud of it. Blog website about crafts, baking and yaoi made by the single fat homely fujolita. The joke writes itself.

62. What is your ideal website? Are you striving for that, or for something else?

My ideal website is that social media Wunderwelt made for lolitas a decade go that has since died. Or perhaps Poupeegirl. Both sites that could never really exist again. (I do know there is a private Poupeegirl server floating around but idk where to find it or an invite lmao)

63. Are you an artist? Do you draw or design your own assets?

I am or at least was an artist. I make some assets and use sozai for others. I mainly use sozai because I find it and like it. I also enjoy making assets out of things in my craft collection like lace and wrapping paper. I would probably do it a lot more if I had a scanner.

64. What are your favourite resource sites?

Alice Home is my favourite resource site. I love her designs so much. I wish I knew what art she was up to nowadays, if anything. I also love Satsuyako's (formerly Asterism) fonts which you can purchase via Booth.

65. Is there a habit you just can't get away from no matter how hard you try?

I'm sure I have lots of bad habits that I'm not even aware of. I know editing directly in the code editor is a bit one of mine. I reuse my code a lot. I guess inline CSS is my biggest crime/ But it feels silly to make a new css file for every page seeing as I want them all to be different.

66. What's your biggest advice for a new webmaster?

Have a rough idea of a site you want to make before you make it and make sure your site has at least some low effort content before you publish it. I don't think there's much point in making a website if you're just going to decorate it and then abandon it. There are so many websites that look wayyyyy cuter than mine, but then they have nothing on them and are totally abandoned.

67. Do you keep all your styling in CSS? Or do you hard-code some?

Vast majority is in CSS, tho I do hard code the odd small thing.

68. What do you think of frameset layouts?

Like an iframe layout? I like them! I think they're nice for when you want your site to kind of have the same layout, but you still want your content separated by pages. Just be careful with your link targets to make sure you don't get stuck in frames.

69. How about table-based layouts?

They're cute and vintage, but you probably shouldn't be using tables to make layouts nowdays. Flex is sooo much easier.

70. Do you subscribe to the ideas of "one-column", "two-column" and "three-column" layouts? Do you use any of these?

I use a lot of 1 or 2 column layouts. Basing your basic layout on columns is a very easy way to organise your website and has been done since the beginning of the web. I really don't see a problem with it.

71. Do you spend longer on the HTML or the CSS?

CSS

72. Have you ever made a page with no CSS? It's useful for your thoughts.

Noooooo CSS is the fun part!!

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 only make them when the need arises. I can't imagine making an entire layout for no reason.

74. Would you consider yourself a beginner? Or advanced? Somewhere in the middle?

I'm a hobbyist. I do this for fun and without formal training.

75. Do you have a habit of looking at the source code of websites you visit?

Sometimes huhuhu mostly to figure out how the heck someone else did something. It's how I figured out how to do lacy borders! I learned pretty much everything I know from looking at other people's source code.

76. How did YOU learn how to make websites?

I started in my highschool digital technologies class where we did various programmes on HTML/CSS, PHP, JS, Python, mySQL and other crap I don't remember. Once I left highschool I really only played with HTML/CSS and forgot everything else. I just continued learning stuff from looking at better webmaster's source code.

77. Do you ever force elements to do things they're not supposed to?

Probably.

78. Thoughts on floating elements?

I looove floating stuff! I love sticking decorations on my page! Though more people need to factor their floating bs into their site's responsiveness. Please for the love of god use display:none when your page gets too small.

79. When you're sizing stuff, what do you use first? Do you use px, em, %, or something else?

I mostly use % followed by px. That's how I was taught in highschool to make stuff responsive lol. I've been told that's now super outdated and poor practise but my site works a lot better on mobile than a lot of cutesy uwu pink sites.

80. Do you have a favourite font?

League Spartan! It's a highly readable font that can look very cute in the right context.

81. Would you run a website with another person? How would that work?

I already run whorehau.se with Koinuko. Koinuko does backend stuff while I did the design and also remind her to check the email for it lol.

82. Do you surf the Web to find new personal websites very often?

When I have time to! I'm always on the lookout for more sites on topics I enjoy.

83. Do you bookmark other people's websites? How would you feel knowing someone else bookmarked yours?

I dooo I like to revisit my favourite sites. It would make me very happy to know someone bookmarked mine.

84. What do you want people to be most impressed with when they see your website?

I... Don't think my site is anything to be impressed by. It's what I do in my free time instead of anything of actual use. I guess my sewing and crafting is something I'd like people to admire.

85. Are you interested in technology outside of websites? Do you collect?

I find old technology very interesting, though I don't collective. I love going to technology based museums though. I also have a modded 3DS if that counts for anything.

86. How often and for how long are you online?

I'm trying to be less online via my phone. My PC I only use on my days off but when I do it's for hours.

87. When it comes to your website, who is your target audience?

Other girls like me! I put out the content I want to see.

88. Have you ever been interested in XHTML?

Nope

89. Do you program in general? Have you ever written a program for use with or on your website, not counting simple JavaScript?

Nope. I wrote some stuff in highschool for assignments but I don't remember anything.

90. Speaking of programs that help you make websites, what do you think of static site generators (SSGs)? Have you ever used one?

They're great resources for people who don't want to write a website by hand. I've used Carrd and Google Sites before. Google Sites was a pain but Carrd is really great!The vast majority of people only need a simple single page site like what Carrd can provide anyway.

91. Do you keep a hitcounter? Why or why not?

I do! Mostly because my site has had one since I made it 5 years ago and am too sentimental to take it off. It also doesn't load half the time.

92. Do you frequent forums? Which ones?

Ahh not really. I wish I did! I pop into AarinFantasy and MFC sometimes. I also occasionally lurk on the usual suspects for lolita drama but like not much happens anymore. Everyone kind of got old and moved onto other fashions to shit up.

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?

I answered this question earlier.

94. Do you think you appear cool to others? A more accurate answer now: do other people ever say you're cool?

I get emails and comments from people who think I'm so cool for my website and while I'm flattered I also feel really bad for those people. I am a fucking loser. I'm twenty five years old playing with toys in my room. I am not cool. As much as I make my website for other women like myself (or in a way for my younger self) I in no way want to encourage people to be like me or look up to me. I am only trying to inspire people who have already destroyed their lives. If you have a chance to be 100% normal and have a husband, 1.2 kids and a house with a dog where you drink wine, wear jean jackets with white tank tops and watch reality TV: take it.

95. Are you embarrassed of your old work? Have you ever deleted everything out of shame?

I am often embarrassed, and I have deleted some stuff, but most things I leave up because I don't really care.

96. Would you close down your website if you couldn't update it, or would you leave an archive?

I'd prefer to leave my site up to archive it. People like the site and also I like the site.

97. Do you reveal a lot about yourself on your website? Or are you more secretive?

I probably reveal more than I should... Oh well.

98. Are you willing to reveal who your best online friend is, and/or if they have a website?

I don't think I have a best friend.

99. And do you optimise the images on your website?

I do my best to.

100. We're out of time! How do you feel after answering 100 questions? ....other than exhausted.

i sure can talk a lot about nothing huh? Halloween blog coming soon