✶ About Toby Elluin ✶

The 100 Questions for Webmasters

This is MOUSELING.net's quiz that I found through Lydel's answers. Completed: 09/NOV/25.

1. Please introduce yourself.

I'm Toby Elluin, webmaster of ✶ scenemime's home ✶

2. How long have you been making websites?

This site is something I've been dedicating myself to since August of 2024, although I tried making the site in the April after finding Andou's website through their What kind of donut are you? quiz, but I couldn't get my head round coding at the time.

3. And what got you into the hobby?

I was leaving certain social media and found this alternative, this decentralised and 2000s feeling space that just seemed so beautiful and customisable.

4. What kind of website are you most interested in?

Currently, I love visually focused sites such as those that are styled like rooms (eg. coffeeplant and garfriend), I love the endless feeling of them — and sites that do have LOTS of pages and content in them. I'd recommend looking at who I follow on neocities to get a good grasp of the range I enjoy.

5. What's your workflow? Do you plan your websites out thoroughly or do you come up with the design as you go along?

Definately the latter. I do sometimes plan, and I often know what I want to work on next, but for the overall site it has been a very organic evolution.

6. Please link to your biggest inspirations.

These are my current biggest faves, so I won't link sites like seafare, who are the sites that I have properly appreciated for the longest time. I've put these in alphabetical order: atalenae, love letter to the electric vid, and the ether personified....

7. What's your favourite part about making websites?

I love the never ending problem solving of it all. There is always a page to make, update, or fix, always something that I want to learn how to do or am inspired by. Although I wasn't a maths fan/nerd in any sense at school, I did enjoy it and teaching other people who were also not the best at maths how to understand and coding has the same vibes for me.

8. And the thing you struggle with the most?

Balancing, and just generally including, aesthetics alongside function. Partially because of my coding skills, but I feel like the creativity of my site is sub par compared to the sites I love. I don't want to sacrifice my site's legibility but I do think I want to regain some of the aesthetics I had in my early site.

9. Do you keep the same layout on all of your pages? Or do you use different ones?

Pretty much, or at least the same vibe through the same colours and having the navigation in the same place. Some pages are a little different depending on the theme and element. Then some pages are VERY different. My shrines are places dedicated to a certain thing so I don't let the rest of the site dictate how they should look.

10. How confident are you with CSS?

I'd say I'm pretty confident with all forms of CSS. I like internal CSS the most, but inline CSS is slowly becoming something I use more often. I often forget about my external CSS pages (ᵕ—ᴗ—)

11. Do you know how to correctly use <dl>?

No... I think I know what it is... but I don't know the correct usage...

12. What is your favourite HTML element?

<hr> hands down. It was the first element I learned to customise and I use it all the time cause I really dislike the <br> tag.

13. If you're making a new web page from scratch, what is the first thing you do?

It depends on the type of page I'm doing, always there is an element of copying and pasteing previous code. Regardless, I'll use the internal CSS to plan the grid that will make up the page under the grid-template-areas property.

14. Do you know JavaScript?

Nope. I want to learn eventually but all the JS I've ever needed for my site has been simple or made by other indie websters to be copied.

15. How about PHP?

I don't even know what that stands for...

16. Does your website have a theme that you stick to?

Aesthitically it has a theme, generally using the same font, colours, backgrounds etc. But content-wise it doesn't. This is my personal site to hold whatever I want so I don't hold back adding a wide range of content to it!

17. Are you more focused on content or design?

Content currently, although I do yearn to shift my design. It seems that every few months I do a design overhaul so... But generally I like to try and add to pages and keep it clear that my site is being updated frequently.

18. Do you own a domain name? If not, would you ever want to?

Not right now. I think I might like to but am not too fussed. Having to pay for it puts me off a little lol

19. What do you think of nostalgia-focused or "retro" websites?

I love them! They're often super creative and coded so well like Windows XP that is a literal recreation of Windows XP (which was the system I grew up with so it feels super nostalgic). I don't think there's anything wrong in wanting to create a space that, real or not, feels like somewhere you once were.

20. Is your HTML valid? Do you even check?

I do check and try to make it valid (like using ids correctly). One of the things I've been working on the most with this version of the website is making the code valid.

21. What are your opinion on buttons and banners?

Cute! I think they're a super useful way to link to other sites, promote things, and quickly get to know a webmaster.

22. What do you think of button walls in particular?

I have one so I gotta like them. I think it's really cool to see the almost unending such as Vampire's Nest's blinkes and stamps wall. Special shout to a website I've forgotten the name of but will add here when I remember.

23. If you started over again, would you make something similar or completely different?

Content-wise I think it would be almost identical. I think that

24. Are you envious of other people's websites?

Envious is not really the right word, I'd more say in awe of and inspired to improve my own site by. Sometimes I do feel like I'm less creative or talanted, but each website being such a personal expression of someone, there's no way to be envious cause even if I really like a site it's not mine.

25. What text editor do you use?

Phoenix Code Editor as I used Brackets first and this was the upgrade.

26. Why do you use that one?

As I said it's the upgrade for my previous editor, but it's also really friendly and intuitive and auto adds closing tags, just little quality of life things I appreciate without being overwhelming.

27. Do you host your image files on your web server, or on another host?

I host them in the website hoster I use (neocities) as well as have almost everything saved locally to my laptop. I don't use anything external to neocities as that means I'm reliant on something external — which has recently proved to fail people, as I get a "this content is not viewable in your region" message for all images being hotsed by imgur.

28. This might not be relevant to you, but what's your opinion on the Neocities vs. Nekoweb debate?

I like nekoweb and would use it if I were to start over. I do find it a little slow sometimes but the active admin team and extra free perks makes up for it. I just think it would be such a ballache to move there at this point, and love all the sites I follow neocities. Wish the owner wasn't as much of a loser as he is.

29. How much server space would you estimate your main website takes up?

Errr like 7MB I think? *checks neocities* Yep! 71.96MB.

30. Do you keep local backups of your files?

Absolutely yes sir! Both so I can edit them whenever without messing with my site and so that I never lose anything to the trecherous internet. Save all your shit!

31. Do you prefer simple or highly visual websites?

Both can be really cool. Probably generally highly visual ones, but some of my faves are more stripped back.

32. Do you stick to certain colours? Do you do that on purpose, or is it your subconscious?

Yes, my site colours are very purposeful now (and I keep rgb codes for all of my most used ones) but they came from version 1 of my site which was a subconcious choice, just based on what I thought looked cool. Now I stick to the orange, green, and purple.

33. Have you ever thought about quitting? Why?

Not really. My website is not just a place of sharing, it's a place of keeping. I'm naturally a collector — keeping things physically irl and digitally locally on my laptop — and my website is an addition to that habit. It allows me to scrapbook and journal in a way that isn't easy to me in real life. I can talk in detail about the things I love in ways that both are meant as an act of sharing but also so I can document them for myself. I always have the instinct to chip away at this site and collect and add to it more so I don't see myself quitting. If personal things meant I needed to take an extended break then I would but,, I'm not planning on that anytime soon.

34. Do you have many webmaster friends, or is it a solitary hobby?

It's largely a solitary hobby. I've talked to my friends about it a lot and even planned doing a teaching session to get my friends coding (and have attempted to make a yt video for it), but no one's really into it. Someone I know wants to create a portfolio website from scratch but I'm not sure how much time he spends on it. Coding/websites has become a special interest of mine so I WANT to do this in a way that no one can force. I hope that changes eventually.

35. Do people in your real life know about your website?

Absolutely, I'm very proud of it and like to talk to them about it.

36. Do you update your website very often? How often is "very often"?

Very often to me would be 3+ times a week and I think most of the time I do that. It ebbs and flows but I do it not because I feel like I have to but because there is always something to do.

37. And the overall design, do you change that much? Why or why not?

This is v.5 of the site design-wise (in a year) so I guess so. The versions are full overhauls though, I make tweaks often. If I have an itch to do an overall overhaul of the design I do listen to it cause it also is usually about the code too and wanting to make change to everything.

38. Is your website more you-focused, hobby-focused, or outside world-focused?

I'd say mainly me/hobby focused. I most often add new media reviews but they are still filled with my opinion and generally the site is about my experiences and the things I love.

39. Do you do web design professionally?

No, and I certainly don't plan on it.

40. If not, would you like to? And if you're comfortable answering, what do you do for work?

My skills are nowhere near what I would think of as needed for professional web design and I don't plan on getting to that level for anything accept this website. I'm currently a student who will likely go into teaching, care, or archival work.

41. Do you communicate with people by email very much?

I wouldn't say very much. I do like using email though and I find email very useful (I currently have 7 email addresses all in use for different things!)

42. Some people reject social media and use websites as a replacement. Do you keep social media outside of your website?

I do have a tumblr, but since creating and upkeeping this website I've deleted my instagram and facebook. I seldom use bluesky but I do have and account. I also upload and use youtube a lot but tumblr is certainly my most used social media and is, for me, a middle ground between a social media like instagram and indie websites.

43. How about instant messengers? Do you use a mainstream one like Discord or Telegram? Or something like Matrix? Do you avoid them?

I use Whatsapp and Discord. Mainly Whatsapp as all my friends group chats are there and some family/friends that I can't communicate with elsewhere. Discord for me is mainly used for D&D (although we schedule on Whatsapp because some of my players don't know how to check their Discords...) and for tha lads gaming channel.

44. Do you listen to music while you work on websites? If so, what kinds of artists?

Yeah, I also often have yt videos or twitch streams on in the background. My main focus playlist is the you're in a save room in a horror game by nobody. The ambient, almost spooky, lofi is the most helpful music genre for focus for me.

45. Do you keep everything you make on one website, or do you have more than one?

I currently only have one. I've been thinking of making another, something more niche focused and hosted on nekoweb.

46. On a similar note, do you keep to one topic on your site, or many?

Many many many. Anything I want to add I usually do.

47. Do you present your real self, or at least try? Or do you construct a persona on purpose?

I do present my real self. I'm not that bothered about anonymity for this site because if I was I'd be able to share a lot less. I like being able to show my life in this way (of course I do try to think about safety and haven't shared my full name or home town etc.) and have other online spaces where I discuss, under more anonymity, personal or nsfw topics.

48. Have you ever made a good friend thanks to your website?

I wouldn't say so yet. I'd like to, but I think it can be hard to feel like it's appropriate to reach out. I prefer a more traditional form of social media for connecting like tumblr.

49. Are you happy with the way HTML and CSS currently work?

Yeah. I'm not a coder so I learn what's here and get on with it.

50. What are practices that you think people should avoid?

I assume this means in terms of coding and bad habits in code and online indie web spaces? So I'd say DON'T STEAL CODE, ofc, this is one of the biggest. Don't rip someone's style sheet or assets without credit and consent. Generally I think we need to get better at that sort of thing.

51. What about under-utilised practices, or things you think people should do more?

I'd love to see more web secrets and links to "hidden" pages or external things. I love looking at a site and not knowing what's clickable and getting to explore in that way. I have a lot of my blinkies and badges linking to sites about them.

52. Do you use a lot of semantic HTML? Or are you guilty of generic structure?

Yes? Maybe? I've tried to learn as much as I can to make sure that both the browser and a screen reader can understand my page, however I don't think I'm the best at it and for example don't use the <article> or <section> elements.

53. Do you consider different browsers?

Yes. I started coding my site when I was still using Chrome and view it still occasionally in Chrome or Edge when I have access to different computers.

54. Speaking of, what's your preferred browser? Convince your readers why they should use it.

Firefox babyyyy! Err, do your research and learn the pros and cons for each browser. My move away from Chrome came from the increasing use of AI and tracking by Google. Firefox also has AI but it can be easily turned off.

55. And what OS are you on?

Windows (11). I've looked at other options, including Debian, but it's such a huge faff to move everything over due to the amount of files I have saved locally. I also do like and am used to the Windows interface, although Windows 10 is still hands down better than 11 but I don't have much choice.

56. Do you have a strong opinion on that, or do you just happen to use it?

It's definately a happen due to that's what's come installed on my laptop. As I say I've thought about changing but I'm not skilled enough to do it myself.

57. Are your websites mobile-friendly?

Yes! This version of my site was made to be mobile friendly through making my layout adjust itself to the size of the screen it's on.

58. What are your thoughts on autoplay?

Chill about it. I usually mute autoplaying music but I think that if someone wants to add autoplay to their site they should.

59. What are your thoughts on webrings? Are you in any?

I love them and I'm in some! The ones I'm in can be found on my home page. I think it's important to keep up such a lovely indie web tradition and stay connected in this way.

60. Do you have any web shrines? What do you like to see in that sort of page?

I do! You can see mine in my collections page, which are currently mostly media focused but I also have one for my cat and plan to make ones for all the kind of physical media I collect.

61. Are your websites "cliche", in your opinion?

Erm maybe? I don't know what would be considered a cliche website.

62. What is your ideal website? Are you striving for that, or for something else?

There is no such thing. Like the question about envying other sites, I don't think a perfect site exits, I'll just continue to edit and change my site how I like it, not trying to get towards an end goal.

63. Are you an artist? Do you draw or design your own assets?

No. I haven't created any of my own assets, but I would like to. I do draw outside of my website (fanart yes sir) but I haven't brought any of it to the site.

64. What are your favourite resource sites?

I love gifcities and Busy Beaver Button Museum, and the fellow neocities site artwork.

65. Is there a habit you just can't get away from no matter how hard you try?

Hmmm, not sure for this one.

66. What's your biggest advice for a new webmaster?

Chill out. Don't care about followers if you have a profile. Take your time, this is YOUR space. And don't be afraid to chat with other webmasters and ask for help!

67. Do you keep all your styling in CSS? Or do you hard-code some?

Err I'm not entirely sure what hard-coding is but I think I do it, setting some values as absolute numbers.

68. What do you think of frameset layouts?

... my lack of coding knowledge is showing.

69. How about table-based layouts?

I like a table and grid, easy to use and customise!

70. Do you subscribe to the ideas of "one-column", "two-column" and "three-column" layouts? Do you use any of these?

I'm flexible, often using these kinda of layouts but I try not to restict myself to them.

71. Do you spend longer on the HTML or the CSS?

HTML every time. That's all the content and what the focus of my pages are. I like CSS but sometimes I find it confusing and annoying.

72. Have you ever made a page with no CSS? It's useful for your thoughts.

Yes actually. I have a locally saved file called my archive where I have all the updates from previous years saved, as well as some JS code, and credits for assets I no longer use. It's like a notes page.

73. Do you ever find yourself making layouts with nothing to put on them? Or do you only make layouts when the need arises?

Only when the need arises. I want to practice and play with making some for fun and potential use but generally I'd rather focus on actively updating my site rather than random code.

74. Would you consider yourself a beginner? Or advanced? Somewhere in the middle?

I would say beginner-intermediate. I have a lot of HTML and CSS knowledge but no knowledge of other coding languages. I've been doing it a while and have been able to help friends with coding when they need it but I still have a lot to learn.

75. Do you have a habit of looking at the source code of websites you visit?

I do. Not too often, but particularly when I'm on a indie website that is doing *something* that I have no idea how it works, I like to look at the properties or tags used and then mentally reverse enginer what they've done as a way of learning.

76. How did YOU learn how to make websites?

Mani's Neocities 4 Beginners video that I watched in early August is what got me coding. I had a very basic layout but it sparked something in me and then I went from there! I very much brute forced it, refusing to do W3school's html lessons, I'm more of a jump in at the deep end kind of guy.

77. Do you ever force elements to do things they're not supposed to?

I used to a lot. I try not to anymore, but if it works it works... even if it's not supposed to.

78. Thoughts on floating elements?

I use float all the time! I have a specific class in my style sheet that makes things either float right or left because of how often I float things.

79. When you're sizing stuff, what do you use first? Do you use px, em, %, or something else?

Depends on what it is. Usually photos are px, grids are fr, somethings are % like tables, and fonts are em. I like using fr/fractions for grids as it makes the maths easier.

80. Do you have a favourite font?

Outside of the custom font I use for this site (Dudu Calligraphy which I found through the life is strange games), I like Courier New and the google font Pangolin.

81. Would you run a website with another person? How would that work?

Yes! I think that would be so cool to have a collaborative website. It could be because we both like a thing and want to create a mega webstite about it, but I also like the idea of a site that is almost like a way of being a pen pal with someone, where one person updates it and the other responds and there's no plan but you talk and build it together THROUGH the website.

82. Do you surf the Web to find new personal websites very often?

Somewhat often. I love perusing the neighbourhoods of websites I'm neighboured with.

83. Do you bookmark other people's websites? How would you feel knowing someone else bookmarked yours?

I do bookmark other sites, if a site I really like doesn't have a button and isn't on neocities then I add it to my Websites bookmarked folder. If someone bookmarked mine I would be beyond honoured.

84. What do you want people to be most impressed with when they see your website?

Probably how ME it is. My website is myself and the vastness of it is due to the fact that I love so many things. I hope they can experience my love through the site.

85. Are you interested in technology outside of websites? Do you collect?

From a distance yes (I'm guessing this is meaning coding and internet tech and such). Something similar I'm really interested in is alt codes! I have my most used memorised.

86. How often and for how long are you online?

I'm online everyday and usually it's anywhere between 2-5hrs.

87. When it comes to your website, who is your target audience?

No one? This site is for me. I hope that other people enjoy it and would say those people would probably be other indie websters, but I don't tailor it for an audience.

88. Have you ever been interested in XHTML?

No, I defo just stick to HTML and CSS.

89. Do you program in general? Have you ever written a program for use with or on your website, not counting simple JavaScript?

Nope I do not. I didn't enjoy coding in school and I have no draw to other languages. I code because it facilitates this website, HTML and my website are so intertwined for me that I wouldn't code for the fun of it if it wasn't for the site.

90. Speaking of programs that help you make websites, what do you think of static site generators (SSGs)? Have you ever used one?

I have never used one and don't know what they are.

91. Do you keep a hitcounter? Why or why not?

I don't keep a hit counter, it's not something I've ever wanted. I don't want to have numbers on my site like that because I feel like it would add a competitiveness that is similar to likes and follows on other social media, which is one of the reasons I left them. I don't think people shouldn't use them! It's cool to see them on other sites but it's just not for me.

92. Do you frequent forums? Which ones?

Only when I need help with a piece of code, the main one I see is Stack Overflow.

93. Do you write your page content directly into the editor, or do you prepare it elsewhere, like a text document or a Word document?

I mostly do it straight into the editor, which does lead to spelling mistakes. When I'm making a blog post for my diary I will likely do it in LibreOffice. My IWTV shrine I wrote externally, but my Pitt one I didn't. It's lazy not to and as I said does lead to SPAG mistakes but... I'm lazy.

94. Do you think you appear cool to others? A more accurate answer now: do other people ever say you're cool?

My friends think the site is really cool, largely because they don't have any idea how to code. Sometimes I get messages in my guestbook complimenting the site! But I wouldn't label myself as a cool person and I don't think my site is cool to other indie websters.

95. Are you embarrassed of your old work? Have you ever deleted everything out of shame?

No I'm not embarrassed by previous versions of the site. It's all a learning experience. I have deleted pages because I couldn't be bothered to update them and I did feel guilty about it, but never shameful. If I started feeling shame about this hobby that's supposed to be fun I'd have to seriously reflect on why I was doing it.

96. Would you close down your website if you couldn't update it, or would you leave an archive?

Good question, I don't really want my stuff on the web if it's not being updated. Partly due to taking up server space and bandwidth, but also cause it would be an outdated version of me. I'm happy to keep things on my site that are outdated (old blog posts that reflect feelings I no longer have) but that's because they can be put in context with the current and everchanging version of myself. If it couldn't be updated I'd likely shut down the site, but keep everything saved locally.

97. Do you reveal a lot about yourself on your website? Or are you more secretive?

I do reveal a lot. Sometimes I wonder if it is too much, but if I'm revealing something that doesn't put me in danger and I'm wanting to share as a way of connecting with others then I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

98. Are you willing to reveal who your best online friend is, and/or if they have a website?

My best online friend, I don't have one of those any more. There are some tumblr mutuals I feel akin to, but none of the relationships I have with people online are anything like my real life friendships. That definitely used to be other way round but now I'm less willing to give myself and my time over to strangers in a one on one context.

99. And do you optimise the images on your website?

Optimise like dithering and making them into JPEGs to crunch the size, yes sir I do!

100. We're out of time! How do you feel after answering 100 questions? ....other than exhausted.

Wired. I'm defo in a focus state now so hopefully I can move that over to my uni work...