Ronalds Vilciņš (@ronaldsvilcins.com)

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

Probably building something, taking photos, or going down an internet rabbit hole.

628 followers 175 following699 posts

CSS colour tools have improved a lot. From oklch() and color-mix() to light-dark(), there are practical ways to build more flexible colour systems directly in CSS. ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/04/m...

ronaldsvilcins.comThe Modern CSS Color Functions I Find Useful · Ronalds VilciņšPractical uses for oklch(), color-mix(), relative colors, and light-dark() in modern CSS.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

CSS colour tools have improved a lot. From oklch() and color-mix() to light-dark(), there are practical ways to build more flexible colour systems directly in CSS. ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/04/m...

ronaldsvilcins.comThe Modern CSS Color Functions I Find Useful · Ronalds VilciņšPractical uses for oklch(), color-mix(), relative colors, and light-dark() in modern CSS.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

Menus and small overlays are common places to reach for JavaScript. The native HTML Popover API lets the browser handle much of that behaviour. ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/01/h...

ronaldsvilcins.comHTML Popover API: Popovers Without JavaScript · Ronalds VilciņšCreate menus, help boxes, and other lightweight overlays with the native HTML Popover API and very little code.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

I still think RSS is one of the web’s best features. No algorithm deciding what I see, no need for an account, and no platform standing between a website and its readers. ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/08/31/w...

ronaldsvilcins.comWhy Every Website Should Have an RSS Feed · Ronalds VilciņšRSS remains a simple way to follow websites without algorithms, accounts, notifications, or dependence on a social platform.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

Not every website needs an application stack. For content-focused sites, I still prefer the speed, simplicity, and control of static pages. Modern does not have to mean complicated. ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/08/29/w...

ronaldsvilcins.comWhy I Still Build Static Websites in 2026 · Ronalds VilciņšWhy I still choose Hugo and static sites for blogs, documentation, portfolios, and other content-first websites in 2026.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

Before writing form validation and input behaviour from scratch, see what HTML already offers. Native controls cover more useful functionality than many developers realise. ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/08/21/h...

ronaldsvilcins.comWhat HTML forms can do without JavaScript · Ronalds VilciņšNative HTML forms already provide input types, validation, autocomplete, mobile keyboard hints, and other useful behaviour.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

How I Organize My Hugo Site ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/10/22/h... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging #website #blog

ronaldsvilcins.comHow I Organize My Hugo Site · Ronalds VilciņšA predictable Hugo structure for content, page resources, layouts, assets, static files, and configuration.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

HTML Features That Can Save You Some JavaScript ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/10/14/h... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging #website #blog

ronaldsvilcins.comHTML Features That Can Save You Some JavaScript · Ronalds VilciņšUse native disclosures, dialogs, popovers, form attributes, and responsive images before rebuilding their basic behaviour.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

Keeping a Website Usable When JavaScript Fails ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/10/15/k... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging #website #marketing #performance

ronaldsvilcins.comKeeping a Website Usable When JavaScript Fails · Ronalds VilciņšBuild content, navigation, and forms on working HTML so one failed script removes an enhancement instead of the whole page.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

Making Links Easy to Recognize ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/10/10/m... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging #website #blog

ronaldsvilcins.comMaking Links Easy to Recognize · Ronalds VilciņšMake links recognisable with underlines, clear focus states, useful text, and behaviour that does not surprise the reader.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

How Much JavaScript Does a Website Really Need? ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/10/05/h... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging #website #marketing #performance

ronaldsvilcins.comHow Much JavaScript Does a Website Really Need? · Ronalds VilciņšStart with the page's job, use the browser's native features, and add JavaScript only where its behaviour justifies the cost.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

Keeping Page Weight Under Control With a Performance Budget ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/10/04/k... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging #website #marketing #performance

ronaldsvilcins.comKeeping Page Weight Under Control With a Performance Budget · Ronalds VilciņšPut simple limits on page weight, JavaScript, images, third-party code, and user-facing performance before small additions accumulate.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

What a 2 MB Page Costs Your Visitors ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/10/07/w... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging #website #marketing #performance

ronaldsvilcins.comWhat a 2 MB Page Costs Your Visitors · Ronalds VilciņšTwo megabytes can still mean slow downloads, expensive JavaScript, wasted mobile data, and a page that depends on ideal conditions.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

How Much JavaScript Does a Website Really Need ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/10/05/h... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging #website #marketing

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

Responsive Images With Hugo’s Image Processing ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/24/r... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comResponsive Images With Hugo’s Image Processing · Ronalds VilciņšResize, crop, convert, and cache page-bundle images during a Hugo build, then publish responsive dimensions and srcset markup.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

When to Use a Link or a Button ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/22/w... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comWhen to Use a Link or a Button · Ronalds VilciņšChoose links for navigation and buttons for actions, then style either element to match the interface.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

The Difference Between HTML meter and progress ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/21/t... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comThe Difference Between HTML meter and progress · Ronalds VilciņšUse the HTML meter element for a value within a known range and progress for work moving towards completion.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

Showing Calculation Results With HTML output ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/20/s... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comShowing Calculation Results With HTML output · Ronalds VilciņšUse the HTML output element for totals, slider values, estimates, and other results produced by form controls.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

Input Suggestions With HTML datalist ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/19/i... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comInput Suggestions With HTML datalist · Ronalds VilciņšAdd native suggestions to an HTML input with datalist while still allowing values outside the provided list.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

HTML autocomplete Values Worth Using ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/18/h... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comHTML autocomplete Values Worth Using · Ronalds VilciņšGive browsers useful autocomplete tokens for identity, contact, address, password, and one-time-code fields.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

What the HTML search Element Is For ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/17/w... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comWhat the HTML search Element Is For · Ronalds VilciņšUse the HTML search element to identify search and filtering controls without changing how the form submits or looks.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

When CSS @supports Is Useful ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/16/w... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comWhen CSS @supports Is Useful · Ronalds VilciņšAdd modern CSS with @supports feature queries when unsupported browsers need a genuinely different layout or behaviour.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

20 Sept

Show Form Errors After Interaction With :user-invalid ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/15/b... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comShow Form Errors After Interaction With :user-invalid · Ronalds VilciņšUse :user-invalid and :user-valid to style native HTML validation states without marking untouched fields as errors.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

19 Sept

Smoother Page Changes With View Transitions ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/14/s... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comSmoother Page Changes With View Transitions · Ronalds VilciņšUse the View Transition API for same-page state changes and progressive cross-document animation on a normal multi-page site.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

18 Sept

Styling Scrollbars With Modern CSS ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/13/s... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comStyling Scrollbars With Modern CSS · Ronalds VilciņšStyle scrollbar width and colours with standard CSS, while keeping the control visible, usable, and familiar.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

17 Sept

When to use CSS clip-path or mask ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/12/c... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comWhen to use CSS clip-path or mask · Ronalds VilciņšChoose between CSS clip-path and mask by deciding whether the element needs a hard boundary or levels of transparency.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

15 Sept

Fading images with CSS masks ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/11/c... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comFading images with CSS masks · Ronalds VilciņšUse CSS masks for image fades, scroll hints, cutouts, and recolourable icons without changing the source asset.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

14 Sept

Responsive shapes with CSS shape() ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/10/d... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comResponsive shapes with CSS shape() · Ronalds VilciņšUse the CSS shape() function for scalable clipping paths with lines and curves, while keeping a simple fallback.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

13 Sept

Image Alt Text: When to Use It and When Not To ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/07/i... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging #accessibility

ronaldsvilcins.comImage Alt Text: When to Use It and When Not To · Ronalds VilciņšWrite useful image alt text by deciding what an image contributes, including when the right alt value is empty.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

12 Sept

Build Disclosures With HTML <details> and <summary> ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/05/h... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comBuild Disclosures With HTML <details> and <summary> · Ronalds VilciņšBuild simple accordions and disclosure sections with the native HTML details and summary elements.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

8 Sept

CSS Scroll-Driven Animations Without JavaScript ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/03/c... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comCSS Scroll-Driven Animations Without JavaScript · Ronalds VilciņšLink CSS animations to scrolling for progress bars and reveal effects without maintaining scroll event listeners.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

7 Sept

Modern CSS Color Functions Explained ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/04/m... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comModern CSS Color Functions Explained · Ronalds VilciņšA simple guide to modern CSS color tools including oklch(), color-mix(), relative colors, and light-dark().

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

6 Sept

HTML Forms Can Do More Than You Think ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/08/21/h... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comHTML Forms Can Do More Than You Think · Ronalds VilciņšModern HTML forms already include useful validation, autocomplete, input types, mobile keyboard hints, and other features that often remove the need for JavaScript.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

6 Sept

The HTML <dialog> Element Explained ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/02/t... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

ronaldsvilcins.comThe HTML <dialog> Element Explained · Ronalds VilciņšA simple guide to the native HTML dialog element, including modal windows, backdrops, forms, and practical examples.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

4 Sept

HTML Popover API: Popovers Without JavaScript ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/09/01/h... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

3 Sept

Why Every Website Should Have an RSS Feed ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/08/31/w... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article #rss #blogging

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

31 Aug

Native HTML and CSS Features That Replaced JavaScript ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/08/30/n... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

29 Aug

Why I Still Build Static Websites in 2026 ronaldsvilcins.com/2026/08/29/w... #css #html #programming #webdev #javascript #code #blog #article

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

24 Aug

Made a simple little flag guessing game for my kid 🌍🚩 Nothing fancy — just a fun way to learn and recognize flags from around the world. ronaldsvilcins.com/flag/ #IndieWeb #WebDev #IndieHacker #Gamimg #KidsGames #Flags #coding #programming #game

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

22 Aug

Your social media and ad specs bookmarks just became obsolete. 👀 Media Cheat Sheet’s biggest update is live—new design, smarter search, 300+ verified specs and free tools. See what changed → mediacheatsheet.com #marketing #google #facebook #meta #instagram #twitch #pinterest #youtube #advertising

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

11 July

Shelf is a local-first Chrome extension for saving web inspiration — screenshots, selected areas, page elements, and quotes — into your own private library locally. chromewebstore.google.com/detail/shelf...

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

9 July

I really like Are.na, but I wanted something simpler and more private — a way to save all my web inspiration locally. So I built Shelf: a local-first Chrome extension for collecting visual references from around the web.

Basically: Are.na-inspired, but local-first, minimal, and built for keeping your own inspiration archive on your machine.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

9 July

Still building, but it already feels useful. If anyone is interested and would like to test it out, let me know.

Each save can include a title, description, URL, tags, categories, and collections. Everything goes into a clean local library where you can search, sort, filter, edit, and delete your references.

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

9 July

It saves in the browser with IndexedDB, and you can also choose a local folder so each item is written as a PNG + JSON metadata file. There’s also JSON export/import, an HTML index export, and duplicate detection.

You can save: – full visible page screenshots – selected areas – specific page elements – quotes from selected text

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

30 June

Artblock is a Chrome extension that detects advertisements, sponsored content, affiliate widgets, and promotional clutter on the pages you visit and swaps them for artwork from three public, open-access collections github.com/vuciv/artblock

github.comGitHub - vuciv/artblock: Every ad on the internet, replaced with fine art from public museum and NASA collections.Every ad on the internet, replaced with fine art from public museum and NASA collections. - vuciv/artblock

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

30 June

Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device without consent. At a billion-device scale the climate costs are insane. www.thatprivacyguy.com/blog/chrome-...

thatprivacyguy.comGoogle Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device without consent. At a billion-device scale the climate costs are insane. — That Privacy Guy!Google Chrome is downloading a 4 GB Gemini Nano model onto users' machines without consent, with no opt-in, no opt-out short of enterprise tooling, and an automatic re-download every time the user…

Ronalds Vilciņš

@ronaldsvilcins.com

29 June

Firewood Splitting Simulator screen.toys/firewood/ is a tiny browser toy where you rotate a log and click to split it, for no real reason other than it feels satisfying. It’s one of those simple web things that reminds me the internet can still just be playful and oddly calming.