It’s nothing new, there are plenty of other static-files blogging platforms, but Marco decided to build one because he is a programmer.
The FAQ alone worth to be read even if you intend to use his platform or not. It’s hilarious and truth to the bones.
Here’s a reprint of it for posterity:
FAQ
Don’t a lot of these static-file blogging engines already exist?
Yes.
Have you tried [existing solution]?
No.
Isn’t this reinventing the wheel?
Yes.
Don’t you have other things you could be working on?
Yes. (Don’t we all?)
This name isn’t unique.
You’re probably right. Neither the domain nor the Twitter username are available, and it’s probably trademarked in an industry I’ve never heard of.
Really, it’s a terrible idea to launch a major project with such an unavailable name. But this isn’t a major project, and I don’t intend for it to get widespread enough that those problems will ever matter.
I needed a name. This came to mind. It’s a coffee-roasting term for the moment in the roast that the bean audibly pops for the second time, indicating development of the strongest flavors and the point that you should stop the roast because it’s done.
You’re not entirely correct on that definition. And I prefer my roast to be [x] seconds (before|after) second crack.
I know. For the purposes of this FAQ, it’s not really relevant.
OK, back to the static-file blog engine. What have you done differently from [existing solution]?
A bunch of small things, probably. I don’t know enough about the other solutions to really say.
Why doesn’t it have [feature]?
Because I didn’t think [feature] needed to be there. Some anticipated frequent values for [feature]:
Comments: Use Disqus or Facebook comments. Or just go without comments. Do you really need them?
Stats: Use Google Analytics or Mint. (Or both.)
Widgets and dynamic page content: Use Javascript.
Dynamic rendering for automatic mobile layouts, etc.: Use CSS.
Why should I use this instead of [existing solution]?
I don’t know. You probably shouldn’t.
Will this make you, me, or anyone any money?
I doubt it.
So why did you make this?
Because I’m a programmer, and this is what I do.
Some people jog away from their house every day, only to jog back. Others walk on a treadmill, expending energy to get nowhere. In both cases, it may appear to others that they’ve accomplished nothing, but they’ve chosen to do these seemingly redundant activities on a regular basis to incrementally improve themselves. And it works.
That’s not a perfect analogy. Programming another version of something with lots of existing solutions is nothing like daily cardiovascular exercise.
I know.
