Barry Pollard

@tunetheweb
803 Followers
219 Following
19 Posts

Web Performance Developer Advocate for Google Chrome helping to make the web go faster! All opinions my own.

Mostly on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/tunetheweb.com) I'll be honest, but still respond to pings here!

Twitterhttps://twitter.com/tunetheweb
Websitehttps://www.tunetheweb.com
GitHubhttps://github.com/tunetheweb
Blueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/tunetheweb.com

The first reviews of my new book on software performance engineering are coming in:

⭐ "A manifesto against enshittification."
⭐ "The most principled engineering book I've read in a long time."
⭐ "The best chapters in this book are worth a whole book."

And it's now 50% off with code “MLOdell” until 26 March: https://hubs.la/Q044cvlc0

#performance #webperf

Performance Engineering in Practice - Den Odell

You can prevent most software performance problems if you recognize their predictable patterns. Performance Engineering in Practice introduces author Den Odell’s Fast by Default model that replaces the slow fix-it-later path with a unique framework to build in performance from the start. Den Odell’s System Paths framework provides a universal diagnostic language for performance that works across any platform or stack to keep your systems fast even as your codebase, team, and user base grow. You’ll work through hands-on examples like slow internal dashboards and cascading problems from a degraded API. Effective profiling tools, shared dashboards, CI budgets, and design reviews all ensure your performance goals are user-centered and your team is aligned and accountable.

Manning Publications
Fixing the URL params performance penalty:
https://calendar.perfplanet.com/2025/fixing-the-url-params-performance-penalty/. The one where @tunetheweb is vary 🤦 excited about the `No-Vary-Search` header (and the one where he loses his blogging license).

Web Performance Calendar day 23 with @tunetheweb on configuring caches to ignore non-content-affecting URL params and reclaim performance. No more of this query string = cache miss nonsense.

https://calendar.perfplanet.com/2025/fixing-the-url-params-performance-penalty/

Speculation rules improvements - HTMHell

A collection of bad practices in HTML, copied from real websites.

Speculation rules improvements - HTMHell
Just published a polyfill for `<input type="checkbox" switch>`: https://github.com/tomayac/input-switch-polyfill/. Here's a quick demo: https://tomayac.github.io/input-switch-polyfill/. A little proud of how this conditionally only loads when it's needed. Compare Chrome (above, needs the polyfill) and Safari (below, doesn't need the polyfill).

On day 3 @tunetheweb introduces us to Speculation Rules and recent improvements to the API that help us speed up our websites. #HTMHellAdventCalendar

https://htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2025/3/

Speculation rules improvements - HTMHell

A collection of bad practices in HTML, copied from real websites.

Speculation rules improvements - HTMHell
Speculation rules improvements: https://htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2025/3/. Mr. @tunetheweb with a great summary of some exciting mobile improvements to and upcoming new features for the Speculation Rules API. Also some straight-out-of-the-HTMhell word play at the end. I warned you.
Speculation rules improvements - HTMHell

A collection of bad practices in HTML, copied from real websites.

Speculation rules improvements - HTMHell

Lighthouse 13 has been released and includes the final move to Insights performance audits as announced previously.

https://developer.chrome.com/blog/lighthouse-13-0

What's new in Lighthouse 13  |  Blog  |  Chrome for Developers

Lighthouse 13 is here with the move to Insights audits

Chrome for Developers
Impolighthouse

Get brutally honest performance feedback that actually tells you what's wrong and how to fix it.

Jono Alderson