add post about scrolling grid

src/sitePosts/journal/2015/05-04-ethics-in-shilling-videogames.md

@@ -2,8 +2,15 @@
 title: Ethics in Shilling Videogames
 content_type: journal
 date_pub: 2015-05-04T00:00:00-04:00
-date_upd: 2018-11-04T14:37:00-05:00
+date_retracted: 2024-02-11T16:31:30.000-04:00
 tags: games internet politics
+status: retracted
+---
+
+With a view 9 years on, I have decided to banish this piece into the dustbin of history.
+
+I still have my doubts about the whole purpose of "video game journalism" (especially as it relates to YouTube), but I feel like this is one of those times where the _bullshit_ around the topic (mostly by the hateful MRAs and their disgusting apologists) has made even the `#GamerGate` _tag itself_ toxic, and I don't want it anywhere on my site.
+
 ---
 
 [David Wolinsky](https://twitter.com/davidwolinsky) has a [great article](http://www.unwinnable.com/2015/05/11/actually-its-about-ethics-in-shilling-videogames/#.VVR9luRXbrc) on [Unwinnable](http://www.unwinnable.com) capturing his thoughts on the whole "ethics in game journalism" / #GamerGate thing.

src/sitePosts/journal/2024/04-09-site-update-the-grid.md

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+---
+title: "Site Update: Welcome to the Grid!"
+content_type: journal
+date_pub: 2024-04-09T22:17:45.000-04:00
+description: Some details around the recent addition of a scrolling background grid to the site.
+tags: cyberpunk code interwebs ProgressiveEnhancement WebDev
+---
+
+Recently, I decided to try my hand at some CSS shenanigans, and spent a few hours replacing this site's long-serving background image with a scrolling grid background.
+
+I've been obsessed with digital grids ever since I first saw the movie [Tron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tron) (presumably during its initial HBO release, when I was around 6). Tron and Flynn were some of my first heroes (they fought for the users), and I remember being blown away not just by the movie, but by being able to play the _same game they play in the movie_ via the incredible Tron arcade cabinet. I distinctly remember going to the Chuck E. Cheese's near our house and playing it, complete with the special blue joystick, and just like the movie, it was _amazing_. And it was all grids.
+
+![[Tron Arcade Machine by Darth-Wiki-Man, used under CC-BY-SA](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tron_Arcade_Machine.jpg)](/images/updates/tron-arcade-machine.jpg "Tron arcade machine")
+
+![Lightcycle game, screenshot from _Tron_ by Bally Midway](/images/updates/tron-light-cycle.jpg "Lightcycle game from Tron")
+
+So that's the "why", as for the "how"...
+
+The capabilities of #web rendering engines (AKA #browsers) have improved immensely over the last few years, particularly in the area of CSS effects. A link to a link to a link lead me to a couple of [stack exchange](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/44793453/how-do-i-add-a-top-and-bottom-shadow-while-scrolling-but-only-when-needed) [questions](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/63874053/any-way-to-line-up-the-end-of-tron-legacy-style-grid-half-way-between-top-and-bo) and a [collection of fantastic synthwave-inspired CSS effects](https://speckyboy.com/css-javascript-snippets-synthwave/). The next thing I know, I've replaced the site's static background image with a scrolling one.
+
+Except... I know that not everyone _likes_ moving background effects, so the only responsible way to add an effect like that is with a toggle that allows the site visitor to turn it on and off at will. And the only responsible way to add an interactive toggle like that is via [progressive enhancement](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Progressive_Enhancement): visitors without JS enabled (or those whose browsers don't support [`<script type="modules">`](https://caniuse.com/es6-module)) will get just a static background grid, but those who do have JS get both the scrolling grid _AND_ the toggle, tying the presence of the feature to the ability to disable it.
+
+If you want to know more specifics, check out the [commit](https://git.itsericwoodward.com/eric/itsericwoodward-site-v2/commit/b2d2fb6d34f1ec14c3c9b7349b87559eddb8f880) on my [self-hosted git server](https://git.itsericwoodward.com/eric/), in particular the changes to the [`scripts.js`](https://git.itsericwoodward.com/eric/itsericwoodward-site-v2/commit/b2d2fb6d34f1ec14c3c9b7349b87559eddb8f880#diff-295d89f33ba7c5c5879162f1cd37fd4c2a68c7d1) and [`styles.css`](https://git.itsericwoodward.com/eric/itsericwoodward-site-v2/commit/b2d2fb6d34f1ec14c3c9b7349b87559eddb8f880#diff-e5a74efc37d0925d2ad32f86388d0229678ed49f) files.
+
+Because I, too, fight for the users.