Developing a website is something I always find myself learning aboutâwhether itâs for a production system or my own personal portfolio. One topic that has particularly intrigued me is the difference between static and dynamic websites. Static websites are notoriously easier to build compared to dynamic ones.
When I first decided to create my portfolio website, I assumed it would remain static. After all, it would only showcase what Iâve been working on, without requiring any interaction from visitors. At the beginning, that assumption was correct.
Things changed when I wanted to add a âContact Meâ page. I started struggling at that point because I realized that this feature would likely turn my static website into a dynamic one.
I created a form so visitors could reach out to me for any reason. Thatâs when I encountered something completely new: the mechanics behind handling form submissions. After building the form, I realized that I also needed to change my hosting setup. Previously, my site was hosted as a static website using an AWS S3 bucket. However, to support this new functionality, I needed a different approachâat minimum, hosting through AWS Amplify instead of just S3.
At first, I thought the transition would be simple. In reality, it turned out to be quite different from what I expected. It wasnât as straightforward as I had imagined. Hopefully, the next time I build a website like this, the process will feel simpler.
Another surprising moment came when I added a CAPTCHA feature. I discovered that even something as small as a CAPTCHA can turn a static website into a dynamic one. Even the smallest user interaction can require dynamic behavior, which introduces an entirely different set of mechanics on the DevOps side.
Experiences like this remind me how much there still is to learn. And honestly, thatâs part of what makes building websites interesting.