I Added SVG Maps to My Travel Posts

Josh Erb recently enhanced his travel blog by adding maps to the top of his posts, motivated by a personal affinity for maps and nostalgia from his early blogging experiences. He outlined three main requirements for this feature: avoiding third-party platforms, generating maps at build time for performance, and ensuring consistent appearance across devices. To implement this, he utilized the 11ty static site generator and created a shortcode to integrate maps into his blog's template. He chose to generate maps as SVGs using the d3-geo library, which allowed him to convert geographic data into SVG paths. He also organized location data in a JSON file to streamline the mapping process. The final implementation includes styled SVG elements that adapt to different screen sizes. Looking ahead, Erb considers adding more geographical details, an overview map of all locations, and potential interactivity to the maps. He reflects on the evolution of his blogging journey and the enduring nature of the internet.

- Josh Erb added maps to his travel blog for personal and nostalgic reasons.

- He established requirements to avoid third-party dependencies and ensure performance.

- The implementation involved using 11ty and d3-geo to generate SVG maps.

- Future enhancements may include more geographical data and interactivity.

- Erb appreciates the longevity of his early blogging platform and the evolving nature of online content.