Below are two graphs plotting the number of images on a page against the total KB transferred by Chrome 13 for both a page with JSIO and without JSIO (which I, for some reason have called a “plain” page).
I build websites for a living, so I have a lot of folders of images from various websites lying around which form the two data sets for the graphs. I’d like to think of them as a typical set of website images, but you may argue that they are typical for the websites that I build.
I knocked up a script that when given a folder of images, will output a “plain” HTML page, a JSIO HTML page and a JSIO resources file with the following numbers of images on them: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000 and 1100. Before generating any of the pages, the order of the images were randomised to better represent a web page’s inclusion of different images for different purposes.
Chrome 13 was used with the developer toolbar to determine how many requests were being made and the actual KB transferred (with slight rounding errors) by the browser. In my opinion I would say that Apache was set up to serve image and javascript content typical of many servers on the internet in that images were not gzipped but javascript files were; the register, bbc, for example.
What is interesting to note is that the number of bytes transferred by JSIO are consistently lower than the bytes transferred by a plain HTML page…but not by a lot. The file size inflation due to base64 encoding seems to cancel out a lot of bytes the gained from making fewer requests. However, it is obvious that JSIO won’t actually lose you any bytes, but it isn’t going to save you a substantial amount. That said, saving bytes isn’t the only benefit of JSIO, remember that one of JSIO’s goals is also to alleviate some of the problems surrounding the creation and use of image sprites – which it does also do very well.
The graph below is just for fun, it plots the number of requests made by JSIO pages against the number of requests made by plain HTML pages. Note the JSIO pages make a constant 4 requests (index.html, jsio.js, jsio-resources.js and jsio.gif) independent of how many images are on the page:
Felt a small spark of recognition when the post named something I had been struggling to articulate, and a look at discovernewfocuspoints produced more such moments, the rare service of giving readers language for fuzzy intuitions is one of the higher values that good writing can provide and this site offered several today instances.
Refreshing tone compared to the dry corporate posts on similar topics, and a stop at explorefuturepathideas carried that personality through nicely, you can tell when a real person is behind the writing versus a content team chasing metrics and this site definitely falls into the former category clearly across what I have seen.
Now appreciating that the post did not try to imitate any other style I might recognise and a stop at seospark continued that distinct voice content with its own register rather than borrowed from elsewhere is content with real authorial presence and this site has clearly developed that presence through what feels like patient editorial work.
Now thinking the topic is more interesting than I had given it credit for, and a stop at findyournextbreakpoint continued that elevated interest, content that revives my curiosity about subjects I had set aside is doing genuine work in the structure of my interests and this site is providing that revivifying effect today actually.
Now setting this aside as a model of how to write thoughtfully on the topic, and a stop at growintentionallynow extended that model status, content that becomes a reference for how a kind of writing should be done is content with influence beyond its own readership and this site is reaching that level for me clearly today.
Reading this with a notebook open turned out to be the right move, and a stop at discovernewdirectionpaths added more material to the notes, content that justifies active note taking from a passive reader is content with real informational density and this site is producing notes worthy material at a high rate consistently.
I appreciate the clarity here, everything is explained in simple terms without unnecessary detail, and after a quick stop at createconsistentdirectionalgrowth the points came together nicely for me, the writing keeps things straightforward and respects the reader from start to finish without ever talking down to anyone.
Liked that the post left some questions open rather than pretending to settle everything, and a stop at learnandoptimizepath continued that intellectual honesty, content that respects the limits of its own claims is more trustworthy than content that overreaches and this site has clearly figured out which positions it can defend confidently.
Came in confused about the topic and left with a much firmer grasp on it, and after createforwarddirection I felt I could explain this to someone else without hesitation, that is the gold standard for any educational content and most sites simply fail to reach it ever which is unfortunate but true.
Worth recognising the absence of the usual blog tropes here, and a look at findgrowthsolutionsnow continued that fresh quality, sites that avoid the standard moves of the medium read as more original even when the content is on familiar topics and this one has clearly chosen its own path through the conventional terrain skilfully.
Skipped the comments section but might come back to read it and a stop at buildsustainablegrowth hinted at a quality reader community sites where the comments are worth reading separately from the post are increasingly rare and signal a particular kind of audience that has grown around the editorial vision over time gradually.
Well crafted post, the structure flows naturally from one point to the next without forcing transitions, and a stop at lakelake kept the same flow going, you can tell when a writer has thought about how their content reads rather than just what it contains and this is one of those examples.
Now I want to find more sites like this but I suspect they are rare, and a look at discovernewangles extended that thought, the few sites that meet this quality bar are precious specifically because they are rare and finding others like them is one of the ongoing projects of careful internet curation across the years.
A well calibrated piece that knew its scope and stayed inside it, and a look at itobout maintained the same scope discipline, scope creep is one of the failure modes of long blog posts and this site has clearly invested in the editorial discipline to prevent it which shows up in tightly contained pieces.
One of the more honest takes on the topic I have seen lately, no spin and no oversell, and a stop at learnandadvancegrowth kept that going, the kind of voice the open web could use a lot more of rather than the endless echo chamber of recycled opinions floating around every social platform these days.
Picked this for a morning recommendation in our company chat, and a look at buildsustainabledirection suggested I will mention this site again later, recommending content into a workplace context is a small editorial act that requires confidence in the recommendation and this site is making me confident in those recommendations consistently here too.
Found this useful, the points line up well with what I have been thinking about lately, and a stop at buildsustainablegrowthdirection added some angles I had not considered yet, definitely walking away with more than I came for which is the best outcome from time spent reading online for any kind of topic.
Worth recognising that the post did not pretend to be the final word on the topic, and a stop at discovermeaningfulpaths continued that humility, content that admits its own scope and limits is more trustworthy than content that overreaches and this site has clearly developed the editorial maturity to know what it can and cannot claim well.
Now recognising the specific pleasure of reading writing that shows real care for sentence shapes, and a look at seotrail extended that craft pleasure, sentence level writing quality is something most blog content ignores entirely and this site has clearly invested in the prose layer alongside the substance which is rare today.
Really like that the writer trusts the reader to follow simple logic without restating every previous point, and a stop at startmovingwithpurpose kept that respect going, treating an audience as capable adults rather than as people who need constant hand holding makes a noticeable difference in the reading experience for me.
Now thinking about how this post will age over the coming years, and a stop at growintentionallyahead suggested the same durability, content built to age well rather than to capture the attention of the moment is content with a different kind of value and this site has clearly chosen the long horizon over the short one.
Closed the laptop after this and let the ideas settle for a few hours, and a stop at tennisvortex similarly rewarded reflective time, content that benefits from sitting with rather than racing past is the kind I want more of and the kind that this site appears to consistently produce week after week here.
Genuinely well crafted writing, the kind that makes the topic look easier than it actually is, and a look at growresultsdrivenstrategy added even more depth, you can feel the experience behind every line which is something only writers who have been at this for a while can pull off with this level of grace.
Comfortable read, finished it without realising how much time had passed, and a look at learnandprogressfurther pulled me into more pages the same way, the absence of friction in good content lets time disappear and that is one of the highest compliments I can pay any piece of writing I find online during a regular search session.
Such writing is increasingly rare and worth supporting through attention, and a stop at discoverinnovativegrowthpaths extended that supportive attention across more pages, the conscious choice to spend time on sites that produce careful work rather than convenient consumption is itself a small form of patronage and this site is receiving that conscious patronage from me.
A quiet kind of confidence runs through the writing, and a look at createbetterdecisions carried that same understated assurance, confidence without bragging is the most attractive register for online writing and the writers here have clearly developed it through practice rather than affecting it through stylistic tricks that would feel hollow eventually.
Better than most of the writing I have come across on this topic recently, simpler and more direct, and a look at learnandapplystrategies continued in that same way, a real outlier in a crowded space full of repetitive content that says little while taking up a lot of reader time today which is unfortunate.
Reading this with a fresh mind in the morning brought out details I might have missed in the afternoon, and a stop at findgrowthpotentialnow earned the same fresh attention, content that rewards being read at full attention rather than at energy lows is content with real density and this site has that density consistently.
Now considering the post as evidence that careful blog writing is still possible and a look at learnandbuild extended that evidence the broader question of whether the modern web can sustain quality writing has obvious empirical answers in sites like this one and seeing them is reassuring even when they remain a minority overall today.
This one is staying open in a tab for the rest of the day so I can come back and re read certain parts, and a look at startyournextdirection suggests I will be doing the same with a few more pages here too, this is going to be a deep dive over the coming hours.
Picked this up between two other things I was doing and got drawn in completely, and after startwithclearfocus my original tasks were completely forgotten for a while, content that derails a workflow in a positive way by being more interesting than what you were already doing is rare and worth recognising clearly.
Really nice to see things explained without overcomplicating the topic the words flow naturally and stay easy to follow and a short visit to seotactic only added to that experience because the same simple approach is used across the rest of the page too without any change in tone.
Considered as a whole this site has developed a coherent point of view that comes through in individual pieces, and a look at createforwardsteps continued displaying that coherence, sites with a unified perspective rather than a grab bag of takes are sites with editorial maturity and this one has clearly developed that maturity through years of work.
Started taking notes about halfway through because the points were stacking up, and a look at growwithconfidenceandclarity added enough material that my notes file grew further, content that demands note taking from a passive reader is content with substance and the writers here are clearly producing that kind of work consistently across topics.
The headings made navigating the post simple even when I needed to find a specific section quickly, and a look at jetmanors continued the same thoughtful structure, small details like clear headings show that someone is actually thinking about how the reader uses the page rather than just filling it for length alone.
Closed it feeling I had taken something away rather than just consumed something, and a stop at createprogressdirection extended that taking away feeling, the difference between content I extract value from and content I just pass through is something I track informally and this site is consistently in the value extraction column for me.
Started reading expecting to disagree and ended mostly nodding along, and a look at seovista continued the pattern, content that wins agreement through evidence and reasoning rather than rhetorical force is the kind that actually shifts minds and this site clearly knows how to do that across what I have read so far.
Now thinking I want more sites built on this kind of editorial foundation, and a stop at itucox extended that wish into a broader hope, sites built on substance and care rather than on metrics and growth are the kind of sites I want to see more of and this one is a small example worth supporting.
Walked away in a slightly better mood than when I started reading, that says something about the writing, and a stop at explorefutureoptionsnow kept that going, content that leaves you feeling more capable rather than overwhelmed is the kind I keep coming back to again and again over the years and across many topics.
Felt the post had been quietly polished rather than aggressively styled, and a look at learnandprogresssteadilynow confirmed the same understated polish, sites whose quality reveals itself slowly rather than announcing itself loudly are the kind I trust more deeply because the trust is not based on first impressions of marketing but actual substance.
Felt like the post had been edited rather than just drafted and published, and a stop at createforwardprogress suggested the same care across the site, the difference between edited and unedited content is enormous for the reader and this site has clearly invested in the editing pass that most blogs skip entirely which really does show up.
Now recognising the specific pleasure of reading writing that shows real care for sentence shapes, and a look at findmomentumnextstep extended that craft pleasure, sentence level writing quality is something most blog content ignores entirely and this site has clearly invested in the prose layer alongside the substance which is rare today.
Now adding this to a short list of sites I would defend in a conversation about the modern web, and a look at discovermeaningfuldirection reinforced that defence list, the few sites that serve as evidence the web can still produce good things are precious and this one has clearly joined that small list of exemplary sites.
Picked this for my morning read because the topic seemed worth the time, and a look at buildstrategicmovement confirmed the choice was right, my morning reading slot is precious and giving it to this site felt like a good investment rather than a waste which is a higher endorsement than I usually offer for content.
Worth saying that the quiet confidence of the writing is what landed first, and a look at learnandgrowstrong continued that quiet quality, confident writing without the loud display of confidence is a rare combination and this site has clearly developed both the knowledge and the editorial restraint to land that combination consistently.
Most blog writing on this subject reaches for the same handful of arguments and this post avoided them, and a look at learnandapplywisely continued the original treatment, content that finds its own path through territory other writers have flattened is content with real authorial energy and this site has plenty of that distinctive energy.
If quality blog writing is dying as people sometimes claim then this site is one piece of evidence that it has not died yet and a look at learnandmoveforward extended that evidence the broader cultural question about online writing has empirical answers in specific sites and this one is contributing to a more optimistic answer overall.
Reading this gave me a small refresher on something I had partially forgotten, and a stop at discovernewanglesnow extended the refresher, content that strengthens existing knowledge rather than just adding new is content with a particular kind of consolidating value and this site is providing that consolidating function across multiple visits.
Picked a single sentence from this post to remember, and a look at learnandoptimizepathway gave me another to keep, content that produces memorable lines is doing more than just transferring information and the small selection of sentences I keep from each reading session is one of the actual returns I get from reading carefully.
Refreshing tone compared to the dry corporate posts on similar topics, and a stop at growwithfocusedexecution carried that personality through nicely, you can tell when a real person is behind the writing versus a content team chasing metrics and this site definitely falls into the former category clearly across what I have seen.