XS Labs

Usually I prefer not to use ready-made software because, well, if I code it myself I can control every aspect of the software I create.

Today I made an exception by installing this WordPress because frankly, I’m so busy right now I’ve been the entire year in process of developing self made Content Management System to power XS Labs’ site.

Why don’t I like ready-made software? (at least in websites I make myself)

1) Code bloat (see the “small and light” CodeIgniter‘s MVC framework for example, pictured above). Folder size? A whopping 3.60 MB. That couldn’t be right. Most of it has to be documentation? Sure, 2.5 MB but 1.1 MB still has left for the system folder containing the code.

I hate the fact that server and CPU power rises constantly, and that gives some people the excuse to make software bigger and bigger. Just take a look at PHP Nuke, perhaps the bloatest and sorriest excuse for a CMS there is. Don’t even let me started on PHP’s PEAR framework.

2) Security vulnerabilities. It’s almost every day that you hear about a bug in vBulletin or some other popular web gizmo that exposes thousands and thousands of sites to script kiddie’s mercy. I don’t want that shit happening on my server. I’d be arrogant to say that I make better code than the rest of the developers, but hey – my site’s never been hacked. Perhaps that’s due to security through obscurity, but at least I can sleep my nights safe knowing that no publicized vulnerabilities mean that I have to hurry to patch my servers.