f.Farouq AlrahmouPERSONAL RESEARCH STUDIO
Field note / Systems

Small websites. Big reach.

A research website can deliver rich content without computing every page for every visitor.

Studio starter essay · Introductory guidance

Build once, serve many times

A static generator turns source content into HTML during a build. A content delivery network can distribute those files near visitors. Reading an article does not need an application server or a database query.

Keep interaction close to the reader

Search can use a downloadable index, and small simulations can run in JavaScript on the visitor’s device. This studio follows that pattern. A successful build produces a folder of files that can be hosted without a server runtime.

Know where the boundary is

Accounts, private data, uploads, and heavy computation require more infrastructure. Add a backend only when one of these features justifies it. Free services have limits and policies; a static design reduces usage but does not make every service unlimited.

Make maintenance predictable

Pin dependencies with a lockfile, keep content in version control, and validate the production build before deploying. Avoid third-party resources that add latency or make ordinary reading depend on another provider.

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