The final time I printed a year-in-review submit was in 2020, the yr of covid-19. Tons have occurred since then. This yr was completely different on quite a lot of ranges, so I made a decision to present it a shot and write my overview for the yr.
Writing
I wrote fewer articles this yr because of consumer work and conferences. In whole, I wrote 16 blogs on my weblog in comparison with 33 in 2021. At first, I used to be a bit apprehensive that my writing routine has modified, however the type neighborhood simply jogged my memory that it’s completely okay to pause and take a break.
Having printed 3+ CSS articles per thirty days for greater than two years, I now really feel unhealthy about solely publishing one article (too little time).
It is just a little hectic. That is not regular, is it?
— Ahmad Shadeed (@shadeed9) September 28, 2022
One month later, I celebrated the primary month in 2.5 years with out publishing an article. It was a great feeling!
Celebrating my first month with out writing an article on https://t.co/tmF29BJDbn for the primary time in 2.5 years. I’m taking a break to liberate my thoughts 😊 🎉
— Ahmad Shadeed (@shadeed9) October 31, 2022
Listed below are a number of the priceless ideas (and sort phrases):
It’s regular. Typically you float and publish article after article, typically … you don’t. Take time without work if you happen to want it. And also you’ve constructed up credit score. For those who fall silent for a month or two no one will actually discover. They’ll come again while you resume publication. – ppk.css
And this one:
You’ve printed so many priceless articles & assets, plus you constructed up an unbelievable status inside a brief period of time. You’re a CSS rockstar now. Take on a regular basis for no matter comes subsequent! – Markus Seyfferth
Lastly:
Your posts are at all times so top quality so that you’ve positively constructed up sufficient of a repertoire to decelerate and write at no matter tempo you want – nobody will thoughts in any respect! Do no matter works greatest for you, there’ll at all times be ups and downs exercise and inspiration/need to publish 🙂 – Phil Wolstenholme
Skilled stage
Shopper work
I’m a bit choosy with regards to working with shoppers. This yr, I made a promise to not work with any consumer who reveals any crimson flags from our preliminary communication. I can see that I succeeded with that, aside from one consumer.
By crimson flags, I imply issues like:
- Getting a sense that the contact individual is bossy, and doesn’t respect my opinion.
- Refusing to share essential paperwork and recordsdata until we begin the venture, though an NDA is signed, and so they play an necessary position in serving to me estimate the work wanted.
- ..and lots of extra issues that aren’t match for this text.
Saying no to pointless conferences
I refuse to do a gathering if the matter could be solved through e mail. It simply doesn’t make sense to waste an hour simply to see just a few suggestions factors. E mail is beneficial!
Defensive CSS
I launched Defensive CSS, a method to jot down CSS that’s future-proof. I’m proud that this little venture obtained me to talk and journey 4 instances this yr. Extra particulars are within the talking part under.
Talking
I used to be lucky sufficient to talk 6 instances this yr. One in all them was on-line, and the remaining are in individual.
Many of the talks are about my venture Defensive CSS, besides SydCSS meetup.
CSS Cafe, On-line (Jun 2022)
That is a web based meetup that’s organized by Nils binder and Christian Schaefer. You possibly can really feel the nice vibes from the organizers and the attendees, it was such a pleasant expertise.
Supermetrics: Helsinki, Finland (Aug 2022)
My first in-person discuss ever. I traveled to Helsinki, Finland, and gave an in-house CSS speak about Defensive CSS.
What’s particular about this journey is that it’s my first time in Europe. I went on a photograph stroll across the metropolis after which went solo to Suomenlinna, a historic fortress in Helsinki.
Paris Net: Paris, France (Oct 2022)
Bonjour! I used to be invited by the type of us at Paris internet to talk about a subject in CSS, and I picked Defensive CSS.
What I appreciated probably the most about this convention is that each discuss has dwell captioning along with an indication language individual. Accessibility at its greatest!
I met certainly one of my favourite front-end builders, Manuel Matuzovic. We talked about a number of fascinating issues, together with CSS, after all.
Xpand Conf: Lifeless Sea, Jordan (Oct 2022)
It was an honor to be invited to talk at this convention by Tabmi Jalouqa. Xpand convention hosted over 1000 attendees, most of them from Jordan. I imagine it’s the primary tech-focused convention within the center east.
I obtained to satisfy Ahmad Alfy from Egypt. He’s a strong engineering supervisor and I knew him for a few years (due to the CSS neighborhood, after all).
SydCSS Meetup: Sydney, Australia (Nov 2022)
Two weeks earlier than the convention, I used to be invited to do a chat on SydCSS meetup ninth birthday, and I mentioned sure! Thanks a lot, Fiona and David. I did a chat titled “Much less Absolute Positioning with Fashionable CSS”.
The vibes at this meetup have been actually beautiful! And it was my first ever attending a meetup that’s targeted solely on CSS. No want to say that it has the perfect pizza ever, significantly!
I requested the organizers if I can do a e-book giveaway to the perfect two questions, and so they kindly confirmed that. Enjoyable reality: one of many questions was: “Can I get a e-book?”, such a sensible method to win.
Net Instructions Summit: Sydney, Australia (Dec 2022)
It was my third time talking at Net Instructions, the primary one was in Net Instructions Code (Sep 2020, On-line) about Debugging CSS, and the second was in Net Instructions Hover (April 2021, On-line) on CSS Container Queries.
This time, I spoke about Defensive CSS. It was an honor to be right here. Once I give it some thought, it’s simply loopy that I traveled 14,140 kilometers from dwelling to do a chat on the opposite facet of the world. Such a privilege to be right here together with my favourite internet folks.
Because of John, Jane, Rosemary, and the group for such an exquisite convention. High-notch high quality, and it’s positively the spotlight of the yr for me.
John Allsopp, the convention organizer. I obtained the prospect to satisfy him and naturally, we took a selfie!
Throughout our chat, I handed him a printed copy of my e-book, Debugging CSS. It means so much to me that he wrote the e-book foreword.
On the identical day, I met Bramus, a pal that I knew on Twitter for just a few years. It was our first time assembly him in individual. Once I began my Debugging CSS e-book, Bramus was the primary to supply his assist and do a technical overview of the e-book. Thanks once more!
Lastly, I obtained the prospect to satisfy Thomas Steiner, a pal who I knew on Twitter for just a few years.
Some good phrases
Listed below are just a few good phrases from beautiful folks within the internet neighborhood.
Addy Osmani used my common container queries illustration to unfold the information in regards to the intent of delivery container queries help. I thanked him and obtained this reply.
Thanks for setting the standard bar so excessive for technical weblog posts, Ahmad. I’m continuously flabbergasted at how good every of your write-ups are; digestable, visible, memorable. Nice stuff 🙂 – Addy Osmani
Writing content material takes quite a lot of effort and time. Once I obtain phrases like this one, I really feel so comfortable.
Thanks – I’m a 1 individual internet group for a city, and with out of us such as you, I might by no means sustain with all these items! – A pleasant one that purchased me a espresso
Within the weblog asserting the front-end observe at Net Route Summit, John described me as “an authority on creating with CSS”. It means a lot to me!
Ahmad Shadeed has shortly turn into an authority on creating with CSS–and at Summit will current “Defensive CSS”, an idea he coined to explain CSS that’s future-proof and defensive, and stopping CSS points upfront. – John Allsopp
Different particulars
My weblog
I wrote 17 articles on my weblog ishadeed.com and it obtained over 1,400,000 web page views. That’s a 16% enhance over 2021, though I wrote fewer articles in 2022.
17.9K followers on the time of publishing this text.
State of CSS
First, if you happen to haven’t checked the State of CSS survey outcomes for 2022, then I counsel you to take action when you may.
One of many questions within the survey is in regards to the folks from the neighborhood. It is a free-form query, and I discovered that my title has been written 117 instances together with my favourite folks from the CSS neighborhood. Wow! So grateful.
That’s it for 2022. Completely happy new yr!
