Why we needed React
9 min readHistory of the Web
As web applications became larger and more interactive, keeping user interfaces in sync became increasingly difficult. Learn why React introduced a new way of building modern web applications.
The Missing Level.
The concepts every web developer uses but rarely learns.
What is The Missing Level?
Getting started as a developer is well documented. Tutorials, bootcamps, and courses teach you how to build websites and applications. At the other end of the spectrum, books and conference talks explore software architecture, distributed systems, and staff engineering.
The gap is everything in between.
After years of building production web applications, I realized I could ship features confidently while still treating parts of the web as black boxes. I knew how to use HTTP, cookies, DNS, caching, authentication, and browser APIs, but not always why they worked.
That's the missing level.
The Missing Level is where I document that journey. Every article starts with a practical question, breaks down the concepts behind it, and builds mental models in plain English. These aren't beginner tutorials or academic papers they're practical guides for developers who want to better understand the technologies they use every day.
Latest posts
Why we needed Single Page Applications (SPAs)
7 min readHistory of the Web
Before Single-Page Applications, every interaction often meant loading a new page. Learn why SPAs changed how web applications were built and paved the way for frameworks like React.
Why we needed jQuery
5 min readHistory of the Web
Before modern browsers behaved consistently, building interactive websites was frustrating. Learn why jQuery became one of the most influential Javascript libraries ever created.
Why we needed Javascript
12 min readHistory of the Web
Before Javascript, websites were little more than static documents. Learn why Javascript was created, the problems it solved, and how it transformed the modern web.
What Happens during a DNS lookup? A step-by-step guide
12 min readHow the Web Works
Before your browser can connect to a website, it first performs a DNS lookup to find the domain's IP address. Learn how the DNS lookup process works, step by step, from your browser's cache to the authoritative DNS server.
7 HTTP request headers every developer should understand
12 min readHow the Web Works
Every time your browser sends an HTTP request, it includes a collection of request headers describing who it is, what it wants and how the server should handle the request. Learn the ones you'll encounter most often in everyday development.
Why you should check a domain's history before buying it
7 min readHow the Web Works
Domains are secondhand goods. Search engines, browsers and mail servers all keep long memories about names, and you inherit them at checkout.
Why websites can't tell you your password
7 min readSecurity
A properly designed website doesn't know your password — and it can still check that you typed it right. The elegant idea behind hashing, explained without a CS degree.
What happens after you press Enter
6 min readHow the Web Works
DNS, TCP, TLS, HTML parsing, rendering: the journey from typing a URL to seeing the first pixel on screen.