As so often happens with code left unattended, my static generated website inexplicably stopped generating with the current release of the generator. 404s now reigned where out of date content pages used to be king. Reverse chronological posts became chronological. Bad writing resurfaced from the depths of a forgotten history.

It sometimes feels inevitable that code over time will eventually break itself, but this isn't quite true. Things change around it, until eventually something responds unexpectedly--or not at all. The messages miss, or say the wrong thing.

I'm sorry, who are you?

It was a bug fix, or an improvement that missed consideration of your use case. Maybe you were using it wrong all along.

If change is the only constant your website will eventually break, too. The old build that used to run is no longer compatible with this machine. Essential security updates cut the tether to the functional past. The eternal braid of dependencies has tangled to the point it cuts off it's own oxygen supply.

I suppose I'm growing accustomed to obsolescence. It breaks even if you don't do anything, so don't be afraid to change it. You can hear the cries that "it wasn't supposed to be like this!" echoing into a backwards compatible abyss.

After this brief existential overreaction and a cursory search that led nowhere fun, it looks like I'm going to give Gatsby a try. Hugo's esoteric template language was never my cup of tea, so I won't drink it now it's cold. Lots of folks hate JSX too, but better the devil you know. Ask Kylie.

Maybe this time I'll actually use it to write a bit, too.

This time will be different.

Of course it will.