11ty Footnotes
A look at enhancing 11ty for newsletter footnotes
Feedback is a gift. I’ve been collecting a growing amount of reader feedback as I’ve shifted from various newsletter platforms to my evolving POSSE approach.
Getting Informed
Readability has been one aspect of the newsletter that has suffered at various times between platforms, plugins, and placement of links.
Hey, your links are harder to read than they were before.
What did you do to the links in this email??
WHY YOU MAKE LINK BREAK??!?!
Readers, I’ve heard you loud and clear. So, I am adding back: FOOTNOTES [1]
Wait. Does this mean Fudge Sunday is re-platforming again? Not really, but to say I’m rethinking my toolchain is probably a fair summary.
At a minimum, I’m aware that some of the past use of plugins, features, and functionality of past platforms is where my accessibility challenges have compounded. For the sake of simplicity, I believe footnotes will strike a balance between the web and email reader needs going forward.
Thankfully, finding a footnotes plugin within the 11ty community was a quick search away [2]. Of course, now I’m inspired to do better with my accessibility for the entire archive of Fudge Sunday.
My next project task for the newsletter will be a more formal harvesting of all the markdown links I’ve used. Also, some of the older richer media enclosures and images have fallen prey to DNS changes and entire platforms going offline.
Graphics in newsletters delivered by email are still a challenge. Source code snippets in newsletters delivered by email are also still a challenge.
Then again, I’ve noticed that the count of new subscribers via regular email and via LinkedIn Newsletters increases at roughly the same rates. I’ve yet to go viral [3].
Until then…
Travel Note for SxSW 2024
I’m going to SxSW 2024.
Will you be at SxSW 2024 too?
If so – let’s catch up in the real world.
I’m also publishing my SxSW 2024 schedule picks (so far).
Note: Embedded content from https://cuthrell.com/@jay/111774189599544610/embed has been removed.
[Interactive script removed]
p.s. As I’ve gotten older, I have come to appreciate getting snail mail. If you have time to drop me a postcard that would be amazing. ✉️
Yes. Footnotes. At the risk of going full academic mode and the Eternal September of layout lamentations i.e. I am going to bring back the humble footnote. Thank you to Molly White and M.G. Siegler for making judicious use of footnotes look marvelous. ↩︎
There is something to be said for standing on the shoulders of giants and the eleventy-plugin-footnotes helped me get this post created. Thank you Kitty Giraudel! ↩︎
I signed up for Google Alerts and big thanks to /r/devopsish for the shoutout. ↩︎
Enjoyed this post?
Consider supporting my sponsor!
🔓 Unlock Your Best Self with Lida Coaching! 50% off regular coaching rates until July 31, 2026!
A quick message from Lida:
With 18 years building, marketing, and scaling products at startups, I work with founders and leaders stuck between where they are and where they need to be. I help you cut through the noise, make sharper decisions, and get your team executing with clarity instead of chaos.
Most founders mistake complexity for strategy. They keep adding when they should be subtracting. When I'm brought in, the team is usually doing a lot right, and the real issue is focus and direction. I diagnose what's actually going wrong across product, positioning, and execution, then reset direction and get everyone aligned around one clear path forward that will lead to growth.
A bit of what I've done: I was the first PM on a fintech product that hit 10,000+ users within months, built a national incubator that supported over $500M in startup funding, and led teams at 23 Design before it was acquired by frog (the design team behind Apple’s first products). I've spoken at Google, Microsoft, and LinkedIn, etc.
🔓 Unlock Your Best Self with Lida Coaching! 50% off regular coaching rates until July 31, 2026!
