# naeemnur

> Web designer & developer


## Posts

- [I Buy Domains Faster Than I Build Them](https://naeemnur.com/domains/): I have been buying domains since 2009. Buying a domain is easy. It costs a few dollars and takes a minute. Building a real website that people actually use is the hard part, and most of my domains never got that far. So there is a big gap between the domains I bought and the side projects I really finished. That gap is a big part of my side project story. I have another page for the projects I built and put online. This post is about the full list. That means all the names too, including the ones I bought […]
- [What happens when menus go digital](https://naeemnur.com/digital-menus/): I was sitting in a restaurant last week, the kind of place where the menu used to be a physical thing, printed on heavy paper, something you could hold and flip through. Now there’s a QR code on the table and you scan it with your phone and the menu appears on your screen, and this shift happened fast, faster than most restaurants were ready for, and many of them are still treating it like a technical problem when it’s actually an operational one. Setting up a QR code is simple: you generate a code, you link it to a URL, […]
- [Doing what every tech ceo loathes](https://naeemnur.com/doing-what-every-tech-ceo-loathes/): I used to be the kind of person who could disappear into a thing for hours, not because I was disciplined, but because I wanted it, like learning how to solve a Rubik’s cube until the moves lived in my hands, or getting lost in a story until the world around me went quiet. Now I notice how often I cannot do a basic task without attaching a second stream of input to it, music or podcasts while coding or making breakfast, a video while folding laundry, something playing in the background while I do anything repetitive mostly, anything to make […]
- [How to build a WordPress block theme](https://naeemnur.com/how-to-build-a-wordpress-block-theme/): Block themes work differently from classic WordPress themes because they use blocks for everything, not just the content area, which means you can edit headers, footers, sidebars, and templates using the Site Editor instead of writing PHP templates, and the configuration lives in a file called theme.json instead of scattered across functions.php and style.css. What Makes a Block Theme A block theme needs a few essential files to work, starting with style.css which must have the theme header comment that WordPress uses to identify the theme, but beyond that header, style.css can be mostly empty because styling happens through theme.json and […]
- [The Complete Guide to CSS Layout Evolution](https://naeemnur.com/the-complete-guide-to-css-layout-evolution/): CSS layout has changed completely in the past two decades. What once required nested tables and spacer GIFs now takes a few lines of modern CSS. This is the story of how we built layouts, and how we build them today. The Table Era In the late 1990s and early 2000s, tables were the only reliable way to create multi-column layouts. CSS existed, but browser support was inconsistent. Tables worked everywhere, so we used them for everything. This code creates a two-column layout. The sidebar gets 200 pixels. The main content fills the rest. The asterisk in width=”*” means “take remaining […]
- [Camera Sensors and Processors Explained](https://naeemnur.com/camera-sensors-and-processors-explained-full-frame-aps-c-mft/): Camera brands rarely publish exact sensor chip details. Still, enough data exists from testing, teardowns, and official specs to understand what sits inside modern cameras. This guide covers modern cameras, their sensor names, and their image processors, including full frame, APS-C, and Micro Four Thirds models. Why sensor and processor both matter The sensor captures light. The processor turns that data into an image. Two cameras can share a sensor but produce different results due to autofocus logic, noise handling, video encoding, and color science. Megapixels alone do not tell the full story. Full frame cameras Sony Camera Sensor Sensor Size […]
- [An ode to small things](https://naeemnur.com/an-ode-to-small-things/): Less has always made more sense to me. Not as a philosophy I adopted, but as a way of seeing that felt natural. A haiku over an essay. A function that does one thing. A photo with room to breathe. The world pushes you toward more. I keep pulling toward less. The best side projects start small. One feature. One problem. One user (usually yourself). They succeed because they do one thing well, not because they do everything poorly. Text files are small. No formatting. No metadata. Just characters. They outlive every fancy format because they don’t try to be more than they are. The .txt file […]
- [Improving Cumulative Layout Shift in WordPress](https://naeemnur.com/improving-cumulative-layout-shift-in-wordpress/): Google keeps changing its performance metrics. One year it’s page speed, then it’s FID, then it’s INP. Somewhere in the mix, CLS became a problem too. It stands for Cumulative Layout Shift, and it affects how stable your WordPress site feels while loading. Improving Cumulative Layout Shift in WordPress is essential for better user experience. If users see text jumping or buttons moving while the page loads, you probably have a CLS issue. Let’s fix that. What is CLS? CLS measures how much visible elements shift on the screen while the page is loading. A low CLS score means a stable […]
- [How to Implement Cursor Rules for WordPress Development](https://naeemnur.com/how-to-implement-cursor-rules-for-wordpress-development/): Cursor is an AI-powered code editor that integrates large language models directly into your development environment. Unlike traditional code editors, Cursor provides intelligent code completion, real-time suggestions, and AI-assisted development features that help developers write better code faster. I moved away from VS Code when Cursor first launched and have been using it exclusively since then. Cursor maintains the familiar interface of VS Code while adding powerful AI capabilities that transform how I approach WordPress development. In this guide, we’ll explore how to implement Cursor Rules effectively for WordPress development, using the Cursor Directory and real-world strategies. What Are Cursor Rules? […]
- [Modern CSS Features You Should Know in 2025](https://naeemnur.com/modern-css-features-you-should-know-in-2025/): CSS continues to evolve rapidly, bringing new features that make web development more powerful and flexible. Let’s explore the modern css innovations from recent years that are now widely supported and ready for production use. CSS Anchor Positioning Introduced: CSS Anchor Positioning Module Level 1 (March 2024) CSS Anchor Positioning allows elements to be positioned relative to other elements, not just their containing block. View Transitions API Introduced: CSS View Transitions Module Level 1 (February 2024) The View Transitions API creates smooth transitions between different states of your application. CSS Scope Introduced: CSS Cascading and Inheritance Level 5 (August 2022) CSS Scope introduces component-level style isolation without […]
- [20 Inspiring Inventions from Xerox PARC](https://naeemnur.com/20-inspiring-inventions-from-xerox-parc/): In 1970, Xerox, a company best known for its photocopiers, opened a research lab called the Palo Alto Research Center, or PARC. The goal was to imagine and build the future of office technology. What the researchers created went far beyond copying machines. They developed technologies that reshaped the entire computer industry. Despite the breakthroughs, Xerox did not turn most of these inventions into successful products. Instead, other companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Adobe saw the potential and brought these ideas to the world. Understanding what happened at PARC helps us see where many modern technologies really come from. This post […]
- [Fujifilm X100VI Base Plate](https://naeemnur.com/fujifilm-x100vi-base-plate/): I just purchased a base plate for my Fujifilm X100VI from AliExpress. Here is the link if you are interested: Fujifilm X100VI Base Plate The construction is solid, and the finish actually resembles the camera quite well. It does not obscure the battery or SD card door and it fits perfectly. I didn’t want a hand grip because they make the camera bulky. If you just want a clean, cheap base plate for your Fujifilm X100VI that protects the bottom, this one does the job.
- [Best time to Post](https://naeemnur.com/best-time-to-post/): Got the content but not sure about the Best Time to Post? A perfect-timing shot is all you need to increase the impact of your social media posts. Here, you will find practical recommendations on when to post for maximum reach and interaction ⏰ Continue creating, choose your preferred platform, find the right timing, and connect with your target audience more effectively! 🔗 Website ⏰ Time (PST) 📆 Day(s) ⚓ Source Hacker News 8:00 AM Wednesdays View source Reddit 11:00 AM Tuesdays, Wednesdays View source Product Hunt 12:01 AM Tuesdays View source Facebook 10:00 AM Fridays View source Instagram 9:00 AM Monday […]
- [PayPal Mafia](https://naeemnur.com/paypal-mafia/): PayPal Mafia!!! A gang of success… The PayPal Mafia is a group of former PayPal employees who gained fortunes by founding some of Silicon Valley’s most successful technology startups. A number of well-known businesses, including Tesla, SpaceX, LinkedIn, Palantir Technologies, YouTube, Slide, Yelp, and others, were started or co-founded by members of the PayPal Mafia. The term Paypal Mafia acquired even more popularity when a 2007 article in Fortune magazine used the term in its title and featured a photo of former PayPal employees dressed as gangsters. We present to you a list of all the mafia members along with the notable projects they are […]
- [18 Side Projects That Made It Big](https://naeemnur.com/18-side-projects-that-made-it-big/): Here is a curated list of 18 side projects that became BIG! No, it didn’t happen overnight; instead, their tremendous success was largely due to their hard work and commitment. From Gumroad and Product Hunt to Instagram and imgur, this list is jam-packed with ambitious founders who refused to give up. Read about their success stories and get inspired on how you can do amazing things, and why working on a side project is just as important as the profession that you are devoting your time into. Let’s get inspired, start small, keep working hard, and go BIG!!! ???? Product Hunt A platform to discover and share tech […]
- [Stack Your Project Has a New Home](https://naeemnur.com/stack-your-project-has-a-new-home/): I’ve moved Stack Your Project to its own domain: StackYourProject.com The reason is simple. I’m relaunching mildspring with a renewed focus on digital goods, and Stack Your Project no longer aligns with that direction. Giving it a dedicated home felt like the right move. Thanks for being part of the journey!
- [Five. Seven. Five.](https://naeemnur.com/five-seven-five/): During the COVID-19 pandemic, I started writing haiku. Not for any reason in particular. Just to see if I could say something in less words. I come from a family of poets and tailors. Both teach you the same thing: how to work within limits. Haiku felt like a quiet mix of both. A few lines, no wasted words. Thread the needle, cut the excess. You’ve probably heard the rule: Five syllables. Seven. Five. That’s it. It doesn’t leave much room for fluff. You have to pick your words carefully. You learn to say less and mean more. It’s a small […]
- [Dear Internet, Let’s Bring Back Fun Websites](https://naeemnur.com/dear-internet-lets-bring-back-fun-websites/): I’ve been missing the old web lately. Back when people made websites just for the fun of it. No products to sell, no email lists to grow, no personal brands to build. Just pure internet energy. You’d find sites about someone’s favorite Pokémon, their pet hamster, or a random obsession they felt like sharing. You’d find pages filled with dancing GIFs, pixel fonts, fan art, random collections of links. There was personality in every corner. And yeah, maybe some broken pages too, but that was part of the charm. These days, everything feels too clean. Too optimized. Every website has a […]
- [Teenage Engineering computer-1 Case Airflow](https://naeemnur.com/teenage-engineering-computer-1-case-airflow/): The Teenage Engineering computer-1 is like a Lego set for adults, and I had a blast putting it together when I built mine last year. Though I won’t lie, it was a bit of a pain to assemble. The flat-pack design and quirky aesthetic make it a fun and unique project, but the build process definitely tested my patience. Once it was done, though, it was totally worth it. But as cool as it looks, the airflow leaves a lot to be desired. After using it for a while, I decided to finally add some fans to improve cooling and keep […]
- [My website’s design through the years](https://naeemnur.com/my-websites-design-through-the-years/): I bought this domain back in 2010, and it’s interesting to see how my website’s design has changed over the years. Thanks to the Internet Archive, I was able to find old screenshots. These images show how the design has evolved, reflecting my changing style and the trends in web design at the time (or the lack of). Also, please donate to the Internet Archive if you can. Their work helps preserve the history of the internet, allowing us to look back and see how far we’ve come. 2010 2014 2015 This is where I became obsessed with single column layouts. […]
- [Fire coming out of the monkey’s head](https://naeemnur.com/fire-coming-out-of-the-monkeys-head/): Once upon a time at the foot of a great mountainThere was a town where the people known as Happyfolk livedTheir very existence a mystery to the rest of the worldObscured as it was by great cloudsHere, they played out their peaceful livesInnocent of the litany of excess and violenceThat was growing in the world belowTo live in harmony with the spirit of the mountain called Monkey was enoughThen one day, Strangefolk arrived in the townThey came in camouflage, hidden behind dark glassesBut no one noticed them, they only saw shadowsYou see, without the Truth of the Eyes, the Happyfolk were […]
- [For the children](https://naeemnur.com/for-the-children/): The rising hills, the slopes, of statistics lie before us. the steep climb of everything, going up, up, as we all go down. In the next century or the one beyond that, they say, are valleys, pastures, we can meet there in peace if we make it. To climb these coming crests one word to you, to you and your children: stay together learn the flowers go light ~ Gary Snyder in Turtle Island (1974)
- [Simple](https://naeemnur.com/simple/): I say hi; introductionShe say hey; seductionThe talking the discussionMight as well be in RussianCause I’m not paying no attentionShe take me to a dimensionWhere the mind is on suspensionBut the body’s on eruptionI used to be cold then she hold me closeAnd me fold like sheets so I love how she make it seem so simple Simple by KNAAN
- [unbroken solitude](https://naeemnur.com/unbroken-solitude/): Lyric translation: In an unbroken solitude, thoughts appear from nowhere. They frighten me.And, lost in the night, my thirst, my desire for water awakened me. Oh love, dreaming of your tale has exhausted me. I have no hate left for anyone; my soul is confused.I believe in no one now. I’ve become the son of gazelles, who grew up in the meanderings of the desert.
- [Take those chances](https://naeemnur.com/take-those-chances/): I am inspired by this beautiful story by author Vineet Nayar in the Economics Times article i wanted to share. It was 3 am when the train stopped at Ratlam. A boy, just 8, stepped out of the train attracted by the fascinating scene outside. The train starts moving. Someone shouts. The boy is jolted out of his dreams and runs to catch the train. He catches the side bars but fails to pull himself up. He keeps running and tries again and again but fails each time. Fear and doubt creep into his mind. The train gathers speed. A critical choice faces […]
- [5 Indie Games I Enjoyed Playing](https://naeemnur.com/5-indie-games-i-enjoyed-playing/): I love playing video games in my free time, specially indie games. Here is a list of 5 indie games i enjoyed playing in no particular order. Firewatch Firewatch is developed by the guys who made the Coda editor for Mac. It is one of the stunningly beautiful game I’ve ever played, It has a very vast wilderness to explore and an interesting story. Kingdom: New Lands Hands down the most addictive game i have played in years. Best simulation game ever. Period. Besiege Besiege is a physics based building and destruction game filled with epicness Papers, Please Papers, Please is […]
- [Acceptance](https://naeemnur.com/acceptance/): A poem by James James, a boy trapped inside, Autism barring the door to freedom. A trickle of light streams through the lock, Blinding against the darkness. One year. Eyes adjust, and crave more rays of hope. The lock becomes brittle, but still fastened. Then the brightest illumination strikes the still dull eyes. One year. Eyes adjust to the increasing demands. Still trapped, but the door ajar. Objects outside this prison come into focus. One year. The chains disintegrate under the force of the sun. The door springs open, The lock shatters as it meets the ground. Autism pales against the […]
- [I Carry Your Heart](https://naeemnur.com/i-carry-your-heart/): i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart) i am never without it (anywhere i go you go, my dear;and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling) i fear no fate (for you are my fate,my sweet) i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky […]
- [When I saw his light shining forth](https://naeemnur.com/when-i-saw-his-light-shining-forth/): When I saw his light shining forth, In fear I covered my eyes with my palms, Afraid for my sight because of the beauty of his form. So I was scarcely able to look at him at all. The lights from his light are drowned in his light and his faces shines out like the sun and moon in one. A spirit of light lodged in a body like the moon, a mantle made up of brilliant shining stars. I bore it until I could bear it no longer. I found the taste of patience to be like bitter aloes. I […]
- [Some people turn sad awfully young](https://naeemnur.com/some-people-turn-sad-awfully-young/): Some people turn sad awfully young. No special reason, it seems, but they seem almost to be born that way. They bruise easier, tire faster, cry quicker, remember longer and, as I say, get sadder younger than anyone else in the world. I know, for I’m one of them. Ray Bradbury
- [The Forgotten History of Autism](https://naeemnur.com/the-forgotten-history-of-autism/): A very nice talk by Steve Silberman, who wrote a book on the history of autism, presented it this way: One way to understand neurodiversity is to think in terms of human operating systems: Just because a PC is not running Windows doesn’t mean that it’s broken. By autistic standards, the normal human brain is easily distractible, obsessively social, and suffers from a deficit of attention to detail.
- [When I see you](https://naeemnur.com/when-i-see-you/): when I see you thereout of reach but still close byexcitement fills me
- [They had never met...](https://naeemnur.com/they-had-never-met/): They had never met, didn’t know each other’s nameYet their eyes were already making love
- [Snooze](https://naeemnur.com/snooze/): I keep hitting snoozeBecause it’s the only wayI can be with you
- [Please, please wait](https://naeemnur.com/please-please-wait/): Lyrics: She’ll come to me in a dreamAnd I don’t even know her nameA pretty mark upon her breastTo signify her from the restBut her and I are just the sameBuilding bridges outta faithShe stands upon a dinner plateAnd tells me that I’ll have to wait(Oooh, Wait for me)I know it won’t be easyWhat a thingTo believeIn a dreamPerhaps I knew her long agoI wrote her poems at nine years oldBut then I did become a manThe letter slipped right through my handsPracticed all my wit and charmHad many girls on every armI learned the depths of love and hateBut never […]
- [To this day](https://naeemnur.com/to-this-day/): An incredibly powerful talk by Shane Koyczan.
- [People, Turn Around](https://naeemnur.com/people-turn-around/): Eighteen and jaded with guns in their handsThey were fighting for freedom and just what is that?Bills to the banks and food for the kidsMoney for college but couldn’t get inMade all the grades but got taken to taskBy a man in an alley wearing a maskScreamed and she begged as the people walked byThe man, he just laughed and the woman she criedWell, it’s time all you people, turn aroundFor the life we’ve been living, messing aroundThe blood we’ve been spilling will bleed us dryThe life we’ve been killing is your life like mineThe needle is sweet and the snow […]
- [Stay](https://naeemnur.com/stay/): There are stories in your eyes.I never told you howsometimes I fell asleepwith the thought that youwere perhaps the moon-always disappearingI would awake withnothingbut the shape of youon my bed and thegloom of you onmy skin. Source
- [Never give up](https://naeemnur.com/never-give-up/): Cause sometimes you just feel tired, Feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up. But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength And just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give up And not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse. Marshall Bruce Mathers III
- [An ode to a Beauty](https://naeemnur.com/an-ode-to-a-beauty/): Mesmerizing eyes; look how they gaze,Every time they send me,To an inescapable maze.Charming cheeks; look how they glow,Thou art the gifted one,Of the beauty He rarely bestow.Beautiful lips; look how they tantalize,Holding many sweet words,O’beauty, please vocalise.Look at those ears; embellished with pearls,O’beauty, listen to my melody,Let me make you twirl.Look at that face; outdoing the moon,For its single glimpse,I will walk a thousand miles,When ever it will wear a smile.. Source
- [Turn Blue](https://naeemnur.com/turn-blue/): Lyrics: In the dead of the night I stop to lose controlBut I still carry the weight like I’ve always done beforeIt gets so heavy at times but what more can I doI got to stay on track just like Pops told me toI really don’t think you knowThere could be Hell below…belowI really do hope you knowThere could be Hell below…belowWhen the music is done and all the lights are lowI will remember the times when love would really glowLike a dream I had before my world turned blueWhen the light inside would only shine for you
- [Tired.](https://naeemnur.com/tired/): Recently I have been feeling very tired, don’t know why. I know life is the name of ups and downs and everything has its own advantages and disadvantages but sometimes it really becomes hard to breath.
- [Inconsistencies of Love](https://naeemnur.com/inconsistencies-of-love/): I can’t concentrate on this book or this movie because the music I always play in the background and the thoughts of you keep on distracting me. It’s as if they are banging, knocking on my door, and I don’t know if you think about me this way, or if the thought has ever even ran through your mind, that we are maybe, or could maybe have the potential of being, something more than just talkative friends. And if not, I would honestly be fine with just sitting next to you on the bus and never kissing you. I don’t even […]
- [Thinking 'bout a girl](https://naeemnur.com/thinking-bout-a-girl/): If what’s became who’s And why’s became when,We’d get a little confused Every now and then.If his became her’s And yours became mineThings wouldn’t make sense In a matter of time.If no became yes That’d be swell I guess.And if bye was hello Would you look up above to see down below?But you see,None of that really bothers me.For there’s only one thing on my mind,I fell in love and it’s making me blind. Source
- [Steve Jobs on Death](https://naeemnur.com/steve-jobs-on-death/): No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite […]
- [What it's like to have a Brother with Autism](https://naeemnur.com/what-its-like-to-have-a-brother-with-autism/): I have an autistic brother and I love him!
- [Real Madrid Facebook Cover [2013]](https://naeemnur.com/real-madrid-facebook-cover-2013/): Here is a Real Madrid Facebook cover I made for all the Madristas. Hala Madrid!
- [New Design + Blog](https://naeemnur.com/new-design-blog/): Finally I redesigned this site after 2 long years, and also I’m gonna blog here regularly. Peace!

## Pages

- [Should I kill my side project?](https://naeemnur.com/should-i-kill-my-side-project/): Free tool to decide if you should kill, pivot, maintain, or sell your side project. Get instant data-driven recommendations based on your answers. Answer honestly and let the “algorithm” decide your project’s fate. No judgment, just data-driven death sentences. I got the idea to build this tool from my side projects – 32 projects over 15 years, including ones that were killed, sold or kept.
- [Home](https://naeemnur.com/)
- [WordPress Themes](https://naeemnur.com/themes/)
- [Uses](https://naeemnur.com/uses/): This is a list of the things I use often. Some help me build stuff, others help me stay sane. Hardware Software Web Stack Productivity
- [Side Projects](https://naeemnur.com/side-projects/): I have been working on side projects since 2009. Some of these projects have been sold, some are still online, and a few have silently disappeared. This page is a testament to all that I have built over the years. My philosophy for side projects is very straightforward: I build what I want. Most of these have been built on WordPress, with some exceptions where I used Laravel and React. My main advice would be to use the tech stack you are most familiar with; do not get caught up in the intricacies of different frameworks. At the end of the […]
- [Bookshelf](https://naeemnur.com/bookshelf/): 📖 Now reading ¬ If Cats Disappeared from the World Genki Kawamura 📚 To Read ¬ The Outsider Colin Wilson ✅ Read ¬ Llama Llama Red Pajama Anna Dewdney The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mark Haddon  Outliers Malcolm Gladwell The Tree of being Ibn’Arabi The secret of secrets aL jILANI Ask Iwata Hobonichi
- [About me](https://naeemnur.com/about/): Hi there, my name is Naeem. I like building websites, taking photos, reading, gaming, and working on side projects. Most of what I do lives somewhere between design, code, and curiosity. Sometimes it’s a blog, sometimes a side project, sometimes just an idea that needed a place to land. I like tea, coffee, cats, old internet vibes, and making stuff that feels a little less serious. If you want to say hi, you probably should. Also, here is a list of the things I use.
- [Photos](https://naeemnur.com/photos/): Like most people, I take a lot of photos, mostly on Micro Four Thirds gear. Here is a selection of some of the photos I shot over the years. Check back later for more. Alternatively, you can follow me on Instagram.
- [CV](https://naeemnur.com/cv/): Naeem Noor naeemnur@gmail.com Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain Linkedin → Web developer with 10 years of experience who works at the intersection of design and code. I turn design into code, and I build the WordPress and PHP that runs behind it. If I’m not coding or blogging about web technologies, I’m reading and learning about what I could use on my next project. I specialize in WordPress development. Experience Front-end / Web Developer Wakeel Price Comparison, Bahrain Jan 2020 – Present Web Developer PayTabs, Bahrain Feb 2018 – Dec 2019 Web Developer Cloud Media, Bahrain Nov 2014 – Jan 2018 Software Developer (Front-end) Makabu, Pakistan Feb […]
- [Blog](https://naeemnur.com/blog/)

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