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Origins #2

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How it loads

Origins #2

How the image on this page loads.

Photos

Photos are not just one resized JPEG. A good source can become AVIF, WebP, and JPEG fallbacks across several widths, with a tiny placeholder so the layout is stable before the real image arrives.

Some images also keep richer variants such as wide-gamut or deep-colour AVIF. Those stay separate from the everyday fallback path, because a phone screen, a desktop display, and an old browser do not deserve the same file.

Why the variants exist

Browsers, screens, networks, and media types do not agree on one perfect file. The page stays simple, while the saved asset details keep source kind, quality level, preview confidence, dimensions, format, and fallback intent.

Each asset gets the special handling it needs. The goal is not to show off file formats; it is to make the page choose the right thing quietly, then explain the machinery only when you ask.

Serious business.

A few years ago, my dad gave me an old drone. It was big and complicated, with loads of knobs and switches on the control.

I first started it up inside, just to get a feel for it. Oh man, such power! It scattered papers and loose objects all over the room. It was angry. It was scary.

I managed to get it flying a couple of times but it was really difficult. It didn't take long before it got swept away by the wind of course. Obviously I didn't manage to get those switches into any suitable position in order to send a command that would save my drone. I'm not an astronaut after all.

That was that, really. I sorta knew it was coming from the start. I wasn't sad, but I wasn't satisfied either. I never got to know if I enjoyed it or not... but the power of that thing. The twelve-year-old in me was captivated. What are these flying little bastards really capable of? And, more importantly, would I be able to handle such power?

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