Save View Source

There are a few recent rumblings on the web that are starting to indicate that view source is on it’s way to extinction due to changes in the web including minification and the need for sp(ee)d. We as web developers can’t let that happen!

View Source and Web History

View source has an extremely important history in web development. It has helped the proliferation of HTML through openness and simplicity. I dare to say that we may not be where we are without view source.

In my development, I rely on view source. It is one of the three things I need to do my job, the other two are a text editor and a browser. There isn’t an easier way to learn new things, debug your code or see if your dynamically generated code is written out properly than View Source.

As Alex Russell mentioned on an excellently written, recent blog post,

The only required equipment is a text editor and a web browser, tools that are free and work together instantly. That is to say, there’s no waiting between when you save the file to disk and when you can view the results. It’s just a ctrl-r away.

Alex Russell

If you haven’t read Alex’s post yet, you should, it’s a great read.

The web is not about compilers, it is about changing some text in a plain text file and opening it in a browser. The web encourages openness in learning because it is simply text.

The Open Web

The web is about being open. The standards the web is based upon aren’t public domain just because—they are public domain because it’s important that the web is available to everybody, equally. Net Neutrality and View Source are fighting similar battles, the battle to keep the web open.

How many times have you as a web developer used view source? At least once a day? View source is invaluable.

One of the things I constantly remind my web students is that view source is your friend. If you find a web site that does something you like, view source and then you can do it too.

In how many other professions can learning be done so openly and non-destructively. If you want to see how an electronic device is made you have to disassemble it. Imagine if you could view source on the internal mechanical workings your mobile phone.

Some people say that we don’t need view source any more because there are plenty of books and tutorials. I completely disagree. Books and tutorials are outdated, view source is real-time. (Isn’t that the way the web is going anyways?)

Web Standards & Browser Compatibility

Another major argument is, “if the web was compiled it would be less error prone and standards would be more easily followed.” I suppose that would be true. If the web was a compiled language we would get instant deal-breaking errors on any minor issue. Would that make the web easier to develop for? Yes. Would that make the web easier for non-technical users? No. Would that make the web less challenging and fun? Yes.

Even though all web developers complain about browser incompatibility, at the heart of it, isn’t that what draws us to the web. This idea of a vast, challenging wild-west frontier of platforms that we can target instantly with one text file. Being a web developer is about tackling the challenge of getting our few lines of text to work in as many browsers as possible.

Yes, browsers are incompatible and yes, they are inconsistent, but it is that challenge that should draw you to the profession. If you are not up to the browser inconsistency challenge then you have chosen the wrong profession.

Minification and Obfuscation

Minification and obfuscation seem to be the two major reasons why view source is facing extinction. Minification is important to the web—we all love fast internet. Minification also doesn’t change your code other than compacting it down. With tools like Firebug and the Web Inspector the minification is undone. (Now if only view source would do that by itself.)

Obfuscation, on the other hand, is something I completely disagree with. The web is open! If your company feels they need to obfuscate their code on the web to hide how they did something, then they need to reconsider actually putting the content/application on the web. By hiding your code you are insulting the web.

View Source as a Web Service

Since minification is important for internet speed, maybe there should be some web service like standard where users/developers could request un-minified code for a resource.

Gaging Web Developers’ Chops

Another reason I love view source is it’s an instant way for me to gage another web developer’s skills. If I find a web site that I like the first thing I do is view the source. The source of your web site says a lot about you as a developer. (Also I love to laugh at new sites that have table based layouts.)

To view another developer’s source is intimate and shows that you as the viewer care. If the developer also cares, it will be instantly recognisable in their source.

Save View Source

View source needs to be saved! Go to saveviewsource.org to pledge your commitment to the Save View Source movement. View source needs you!