Building Web Apps That Last Forever: The Timeless Art of Progressive Enhancement

Twenty years ago, a website built with primitive CSS and HTML might still load perfectly on today's smartphones—a feat unmatched by native apps or proprietary systems. This remarkable backward compatibility defines the web's superpower: eternal durability. As developer Herman notes in his insightful post, this longevity isn't accidental—it's engineered through deliberate, layer-by-layer craftsmanship.

The Three Pillars of Web Immortality

1. Semantic HTML as Foundation: Start with unstyled, functional markup—text, links, forms, buttons. This "Craigslist aesthetic" ensures core functionality works everywhere, from Lynx browsers to screen readers. As Herman emphasizes:

   "If I stopped now, the app should be fully usable and aesthetically pleasing."

   Targeting the Web Platform Baseline guarantees compatibility with even the most conservative browsers (like Safari, his testing standard).

2. CSS as a Progressive Layer: Modern layout tools like Grid, Flexbox, and multi-col—now universally supported—replace the fragile hacks of the CSS Zen Garden era. Herman uses Tailwind for rapid prototyping but emphasizes its proximity to standards: "A dependency isn't detrimental to longevity if it lives close to a standard." The CSS can be stripped back to vanilla stylesheets without breaking functionality.

3. JavaScript as Optional Polish: Like jQuery's early polyfills, modern JS should enhance rather than enable. Herman adds features like drag-and-drop sparingly, with fallbacks: <noscript> tags and .no-js CSS classes preserve functionality when JS fails or is disabled. Service workers and view transitions add native-like features—but only as progressive upgrades.

Testing the Timeless Stack

Visit jch.app with:

• No CSS: Functional markup shines through (like early Craigslist)
• CSS Enabled: Layout and aesthetics elevate the experience
• JS Activated: Subtle enhancements (animations, native features) complete the vision

This approach mirrors the web's original ethos: content first, decoration second. Unlike framework-heavy SPAs, this stack won't break when React 27 deprecates a hook.

The Infrastructure Parallel

For backend durability, Herman advocates "unix-y" principles—simple, composable services running on commodity hardware. While no exact "baseline" exists for infrastructure, prioritizing simplicity over novelty ensures systems outlive cloud vendor trends.

In a landscape obsessed with shiny tools, this philosophy offers a radical reminder: the web's greatest strength isn't innovation—it's persistence. By respecting its layered architecture, we build apps that survive operating systems, devices, and JavaScript frameworks alike.