Henri Helvetica

Learn about performance metrics and how to interpret the data to provide the best user experience possible.

Some who have been present on the web a little whilst might still remember one of the preeminent debugging tools: FireBug. 

For all its features and early praise, its author Joe Hewitt initially created it for 2 reasons: to observe what was happening on a page, pre and post resource load. Two simple metrics. 

A decade and change later, measuring resource loading and page performance is in equal parts proof and perception. The multitude of metrics available has allowed for granular measurements, but has also clearly created confusion. 

During 'The Metric System', we will learn about many of the performance metrics being bandied around like FCP, FMP, TTFB and Speed Index to name a few. But more importantly, we will see how to interpret this data, when to use it in order to extract the information our individual users need for the best user experience possible.

2020

You Gotta Love Frontend

The Metric System: Making Correct Performance Measurements

Somewhere on a university campus in the US midwest, a 20 some year old student was earning minimum-wage, writing code in the middle of the night that would forever change the world. Until 1992, the internet was largely textual, reserved almost exclusively to academia. 

The sea change was a browser called: Mosaic. A young engineer co-authored Mosaic and in 1993 it became the 1st consumer-friendly browser, described once as the “gateway to the riches of the internet”. 25 years later, these same internet riches have become richer content, browsing has become as quotidian as a cup of coffee though not without a touch of tumult. 

“The Shape Of The Web” is about both accomplishments and challenges that lay in past, present and future of the web, its technologies employed and its employed technologists.

2019

JSCamp

Shape Of The Web

Until 1992, the web was largely textual, reserved almost exclusively to academia, with the charm of searching for library books via card catalogs.

The sea change came when a browser allowed for both text and images to now be displayed in the viewport. Despite some vehement opposition, this was described as the “gateway to the riches of the internet”.

This was a technological advancement that some had wagered would further fuel more advancement. We now have seen technologies like APIs, PWAs, DevTools and many more.

“The Shape Of The Web” is about both accomplishments and challenges that lay in past, present and future of the web - from its technologies employed and its employed technologists.