100 questions for webmasters

original quiz by MOUSELING.net :)

1. Please introduce yourself.

Hello, my name is Trash/Lee, depending on whether or not calling me Trash makes you feel bad! Both not my real name, if you're fearful that my parents hate me. I'm an Australian author-in-the-making and artist :)

2. How long have you been making websites?

I made the first iteration of my website in 2024, fell out of love with it, then fell back in love with it because I was getting bored and needed a new hobby haha

3. And what got you into the hobby?

I've always been curious about making my own website/blog, and I found that using Wordpress like my parents do wasn't my thing. So, I used my base knowledge of HTML from editing Toyhouse templates and some research online to make my own!

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

I love a good personal site. I think they're gorgeous, and full of so much heart. There's no right or wrong way to make a website, so every site is different. That's super inspiring!

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 fuck around and I find out. When I get an idea, I execute it.

6. Please link to your biggest inspirations.

My biggest inspirations are linked on my buttons page! Is this a ploy to get you to look at more pages on my site? I would never!

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

The amount of customisation I have! It's free to use both HTML and CSS, so with some practice I can make anything I want to and share it :D I also appreciate the fact it's not as commercialised and controlled as most social media. I want to be free to create without worrying over algorithms.

8. And the thing you struggle with the most?

Coding... I love coding, don't get me wrong, but it seriously drives me batty sometimes. Sometimes things don't work and all of a sudden it stops working.

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

All of the pages other than my art gallery have the same base layout. I find it a lot easier to edit my base page than do a different layout for each page, but I commend people who do. I add a bit of fun to it, though, by changing colour palettes and fonts. That's the only way I really keep people on their toes!

10. How confident are you with CSS?

Not really confident at all. But I do appreciate it for making my code snippets a lot more coherent. I really just play around until things work.

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

Similar point to question 10. I don't know how it works at all. But I use it where I'm told to from my research and if it works it works.

12. What is your favourite HTML element?

I lovelovelove the good old <br> tag. Saved my spacing multiple times and has also ruined it.

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

I sort out a base page before anything. I keep a blank version of my usual site layout and edit it depending on what I want the theme of the page to be.

14. Do you know JavaScript?

Nope.

15. How about PHP?

Nope.

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

Vaguely. I love my rainbow and pink on black, which I use often, but I like to swap the aesthetic up sometimes for different page vibes.

17. Are you more focused on content or design?

Content, really! I don't really have anything hugely interesting to say, but I don't have the skills to do anything really mind-blowing with my design yet. One day, though, I want to be able to.

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

Theoretically yes, I'd like to own a domain name one day. But I know damn well that would involve me changing all of my links on my site and I do not want to do that because I have a lot of pages that link to other pages.

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

LOVELOVELOVE THEM!! I find them so fun to browse and they really do unlock a lot of comfort for me.

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

In my eyes, if it works it's valid. Chances are it isn't, and I am not going to check.

21. What are your opinion on buttons and banners?

ALSO LOVE!! Like yess let's all customise everything forever!! We need to make our marks on the net!!

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

I love browsing button walls. It's so fun to look around and share other sites that you love and think deserve more attention. So far for me the culture of it's been really lovely.

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

I think I'd make something similar to what I've got. Maybe I'd try and make it prettier with my better knowledge of HTML?

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

Absolutely I am. Never angry-jealous, more like "aww, why didn't I think of that?"

25. What text editor do you use?

It's me and html.onlineviewer.net against the world. I'd love to use VSC one day to guarantee my code's safety lest my laptop reboots itself, but I haven't been able to figure out a real-time visualiser for it yet.

26. Why do you use that one?

Because if I don't use a visualiser I can do literally nothing. What am I making? I don't know!

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

I host my image files on catbox.moe at the moment. It's not reliable, so I'm always looking for a different host. I've been recommended Git a few times but I don't have the smarts for it. I had a Linux computer once and could hardly handle that.

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

I'm not hugely intrenched in the debate. I prefer using Neocities, personally, but I've definitely heard unsavoury things about both platforms. I'm gonna stick with Neocities for a while, I think. It's what I know.

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

Hopefully not much considering I host all of my images on catbox hahah

30. Do you keep local backups of your files?

I don't but I really should... I've been putting off backing up my site's files because I am a lazy sod but I know I should.

31. Do you prefer simple or highly visual websites?

I don't have a preference! Both of them have their own merits :)

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

I do, mostly because the black and pink with rainbow accents is the palette I associate the most with myself as a person. #ed5a9b is my GIRLLLLL!!

33. Have you ever thought about quitting? Why?

Not yet, luckily. Sometimes I get a bit of imposter syndrome, but not enough to make me want to drop web design altogether.

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

I do! My friends such as E0NBREAK and star3462 are definitely some of my biggest supporters, and I've had the pleasure to meet so many more talented webmasters recently. If you're interested in becoming site neighbours and supporters of each other, then my guestbook is linked on my home page :)

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

They do! I share links to my blog posts on my personal, private Instagram sometimes :) God knows how many of them actually read them, though...

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

I'd say I update often, yeah! It's definitely been a grounding force in my life recently, so I've been updating with new additions whenever I can.

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

I keep my design pretty same-same at the moment, out of fear of ruining things. Sometimes I make smaller aesthetic changes, but since the additions of my shiny buttons things haven't changed too much.

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

A bit of everything! Mostly me and my hobbies, though. I want to one day get brave enough to share some more personal tidbits in my blog posts, but nothing too intimate.

39. Do you do web design professionally?

No, but I have HTML on my resume in case some place really wants me to do some HTML coding one day. Even though most sites nowadays are on Wordpress and Wix. I've done some temp work with web design, though.

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

I currently do nothing for work, not for lack of trying! I'm pretty much a full-time student. As an adult with a lack of prior experience on my resume, most places would rather hire a teen with the same amount of experience that runs on a cheaper salary.

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

No, but I'd really love to. I've sorta always wanted to do penpalling, so penpalling through an email may be a good start.

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

I do use other socials, but I've recently found myself turning towards the indie web more when I'm in the mood to browse. The content on here makes me feel better, all-in-all; I prefer looking at people's creative work than comparing myself to models online.

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 often, even though I don't love their policies. It's where a lot of my friends, both IRL and online, talk, and how I communicate with my university's clubs, so I don't want to leave them all behind.

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

Mostly just my main playlists, which are an amalgamation of all sorts! Sometimes I do some more ambient music if it's a blog post I really need to focus on it more.

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

One site only for me! I don't have the energy to manage multiple :')

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

Many! I love sharing whatever I'm interested in with other people. This site has really been a good outlet for all that stuff when I feel like I'm boring the people around me, even when I'm not.

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

I do my best to present my real self online. I'm definitely a lot more outgoing online than I am in real life, though. I hardly have any of the bravery I do on my blog than in real life.

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

I haven't! It'd be a good experience, though :) Lots of lovely, likeminded people out there!

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

I can't imagine them working any different!

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

Uhh I don't really know how to answer this one... I think that not judging strangers gives you a more positive outlook! I'll elaborate a bit more on this in answer 51.

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

Whenever you see a person out and about, whether it's family, a friend or a stranger, try and think of something you could compliment them on instead. Maybe they have a really nice smile or laugh, a good outfit or cool hair, something of the like. You don't have to say it out loud, but it really makes you happier. And, if you do say it out loud, you're spreading love!

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

I don't know... That sounds scary... /ref

53. Do you consider different browsers?

I've considered it, yes. I'm not a lover of Chrome but I really struggle with change so I haven't been able to change browsers for more than a few minutes. I've thought about changing the default search engine to DuckDuckGo, though.

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

I use Google Chrome. I can say nothing to convince you to use it because really it's not brilliant. Uhh I like Google Docs.

55. And what OS are you on?

Whatever the latest version of Windows is.

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

My strongest Windows opinion is that I hate Copilot and the Microsoft Suite being paid. I'm paying for internet the least you can do is give me Word. But hey, anything's better than using Linux again. I had it forcibly installed on my last computer by my tech-savvy uncle (who I do love very dearly this is not a diss on him) and it was the closest I've ever been to being in a Saw trap.

57. Are your websites mobile-friendly?

It's not not mobile friendly... you can open it on mobile, but none of the fonts load and it's still oriented like it is on PC. No I will not fix it. I'm too lazy.

58. What are your thoughts on autoplay?

I love autoplay! I find it so fun like yess play me a little tune. I've found some really good songs from autoplaying music on sites. One site I go to for assets uses You Get What You Give by New Radicals and I always keep the page open for longer than I need to so I can listen to the full things.

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

I love webrings!! I'm in a few. As a huge pin collector with a 17" ita bag and a sticker fiend, it gives me the same hit of dopamine with less money-spending.

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

I have plenty! My favourite part about shrines is that none of them are the same. The different layouts and information in shrines are really special to me, because it really does show that all sites are different and all loves can be shared in different ways. I've learnt a lot from them!

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

A teensy tiny bit, yes. I don't think that's a crime, though.

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

I'm pretty close to my ideal, really! I can't picture anything else for myself, really. Maybe some more marquees? I'd like to add a marquee of stamps or something at the bottom of my homepage.

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

I am an artist, but I don't draw my own assets because I'm lazy... My button was drawn by my gorgeous best friend Cinna, and a lot of my assets are taken from 2000s-2010s graphic sites. I want to draw more assets, though. I want to make some pagedolls and icons of my sona.

64. What are your favourite resource sites?

glitter-graphics.com, gifcity.carrd.co and artwork.neocities.org are my three favourites. Sometimes I go on Tumblr for stamps.

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

Skin-picking and nail-peeling. My dream is to have nice hands and nails one day, but I've been destroying them since I was a kid.

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

If you hotlink people will yell at you for stealing their bandwidth be careful. I still get a lil shaky when I remember someone got upset at me for forgetting to fix a link. Seriously, though, just have fun with it!! Experiment with different layouts and code, and don't be afraid to ask more experienced webmasters for help.

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

A bit of both. Depends on what I think would be easier and give myself less of a headache.

68. What do you think of frameset layouts?

Answering all of these questions is so hard because there are things that I know but don't know the name of. Like this. I'm vaguely aware of frameset layouts, but as far as I know I haven't really used them.

69. How about table-based layouts?

I was a repeat offender when it comes to table-based layouts once. Then, I learnt how to use CSS to make it easier and cleaner. Would recommend looking into it if possible.

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

I do, and I don't see any problem with them! I use a three-column layout.

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

The HTML, definitely. The CSS is the easier part.

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

I have not and the thought kinda scares me. My pretties,,, where are they,,,

73. Do you ever find yourself making layouts with nothing to put on them? Or do you only make layouts when the need arises?

Sometimes. I've been wanting to pre-make holiday themed blog page layouts for myself recently. I don't know if I'll still even be blogging by Christmas but I'll be damned if it isn't tempting.

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

I totally fall under the beginner umbrella. I'm far from a pro at anything yet, and most of my site design comes from templates I make once and edit depending on the situation.

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

I didn't even know it was possible until I was told to do it to get a code template. I always need to google how if I ever need to.

76. How did YOU learn how to make websites?

Research and trial and error. Lots of practice until it made good enough. Lots of using code snippets too, and frankensteining them as needed. A lot of my code, even though I coded it myself, was inspired by something I saw on another person's site and tried to recreate to the best of my ability.

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

I try to. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't.

78. Thoughts on floating elements?

Perfectly neutral. I probably use them on my site. I don't know enough about web design yet to tell.

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

px, all day every day.

80. Do you have a favourite font?

High Tower Text is my all-time favourite! I'd use it on all of my documents if I could.

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

It sounds like a fun experiment, but I have no idea how it'd go down or what we'd even do on it.

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

Yes, almost every time I sit at my computer! When I get bored, going down a rabbit hole through people's button pages is one of my favourite things to do.

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

Sometimes, if I want to go back to them! I'd be quite honoured if anyone bookmarked my site :)

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

I don't know... I'm quite happy with the buttons on my home page and the Sparks Joy project, but the clickable map of Red Pines Mall is definitely a favourite of mine. I need to finish it...

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

I am! I'm not a huge collector of technology, but I love taking a browse every time I go to an antique store to see what I can find. I love older phones and 2000s/2010s consoles the best. Also older Windows OS's.

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

I'm online pretty much every day from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. I totally sound like a NEET, saying that... I just do most of my work online, from commissions on Vgen to uni work on Canvas, and I admittedly don't get out much. Both due to a lack of funds and a lack of energy to.

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

Anyone who looks at it! Ideally anyone 15+. I'd love some people with similar interests to me to find my site, though. It's good to geek out together!

88. Have you ever been interested in XHTML?

I didn't even know that XHTML was a thing.

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

I don't. I used to have a huge interest in computer programming when I was a little girl, learning the basics of Scratch and Ruby, but fell out of love with it. In my senior year of high school, I learnt a bit of basic Python to program in Ren'py too for one of my final projects.

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

I've looked into them, but I've never used one.

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

I do, but - and I'm embarrassed to admit - I don't fully understand it. It looks unlike any other hit counters I've used. My favourite hit counter site died so this is the one I'm using at the moment. I'm looking for a site where I can get another one that doesn't lag my site's loading too bad. One day I will.

92. Do you frequent forums? Which ones?

I'm looking to get onto more forums. At the moment, the only one I'm on somewhat frequently is MelonLand.

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 write the content directly into an editor on every post other than my blog. I write my blog posts on Notion.

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

I don't think I'm cool at all. I'm one of the biggest losers this planet has to offer. But, for some reason, other people think I'm cool. I recently went to a doll convention and this younger girl manning a stall with her mother struck up a conversation with me and admitted halfway through that she was scared of me at first because I looked cool. I have never been so floored in my life. If you think I'm cool shout out to you because I am writing this from my bed whilst having my childhood teddy bear sat on my lap and Rick + Morty socks on my feet. You need to get out and meet more cooler people.

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

I am incredibly embarrassed by my older work, especially my art. I deleted it out of shame as a kid, but I've gotten better at just archiving content instead of throwing it away entirely, so I can look back at it and cringe my heart out.

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

Chances are I'd leave it open in eternal website purgatory. Maybe I'd hide some of my blog posts, at the most.

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

I'd consider myself to be a bit in the middle. I'm quite open, but not as open as I'd like to be. I want my site to be somewhere I can share my life, thoughts and feelings, but I've grown up with enough websmarts to know how to be careful. I'm still not fully used to the freedom of adulthood, and the fact I can share what I want to.

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

My best friend sadly doesn't have a site, although I think she'd make a really good one! Her Toyhouse page is linked on my home page, since she drew my site button for me. Chances are she's gonna be here so Cinna if you see this I love you so much <33

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

Prolly not. Oh lord save me my drug is my baby I'll be usi

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

Very very tired, but also quite content! It was fun to sit down and answer some questions like this; it's not something I do often. Thanks for reading!

with love, lee ♥