Website Modernization Plan (2026)

Website Modernization Plan (2026)

This site is currently a forked academic website template derived from the older academicpages / minimal-mistakes Jekyll stack. The repository is functional, but the build and theme versions are outdated for 2026.

Current state

• Uses github-pages gem version 232
• Builds with Jekyll 3.10.0
• Uses a detached academicpages-like template rather than a modern remote theme
• Contains legacy config comments and an older README
• Has a local Gemfile.lock and vendor/ bundle state that need cleanup
• Current source works locally after SSL fix

What is outdated / not ideal

• Jekyll 3.10 is old in 2026; GitHub Pages now supports newer Jekyll versions
• github-pages v232 pins old plugin versions
• The site has legacy config and styling from the academicpages fork
• README.md contains outdated local development instructions
• hawkins and other legacy plugins may no longer be necessary

Goals

1. Keep the content and structure that still works
2. Update the site to a modern 2026 Jekyll/GitHub Pages stack
3. Clean up dependencies and remove unused legacy cruft
4. Optionally move to a modern theme or simplified site structure
5. Add a reproducible local development flow and deployment plan

Recommended path

Option A — Update in place (recommended first pass)

1. Create an audit branch: site-update/audit
2. Commit the current working state and remove vendor/ from tracked files if needed
3. Update Gemfile to a supported github-pages version or plain Jekyll 4+
4. Run bundle update github-pages or bundle update and verify the site still builds
5. Remove unused plugins and clean _config.yml
6. Keep the current content and use the existing theme layout if it still looks acceptable
7. Update README.md with current local development commands

Option B — Migrate to a modern theme

If you want a fresher design and less custom legacy code:

1. Pick a modern GitHub Pages compatible theme such as minimal-mistakes (current version) or a newer Jekyll theme
2. Switch to remote_theme or the theme gem in Gemfile
3. Migrate page metadata and templates into the new theme structure
4. Verify all pages and collections render correctly

Option B is a bigger project, but it usually yields a cleaner modern site.

Practical 2026 modernization steps

Step 1 — Preview and audit

• Run bundle exec jekyll serve --livereload
• Open http://127.0.0.1:4000
• Note which pages/layouts need visual polish
• Note any broken or unnecessary plugins

Step 2 — Clean dependencies

• Ensure Gemfile.lock is committed
• Add vendor/ to .gitignore and remove it from git tracking if present
• Remove unused gems from Gemfile
• Replace old plugin usage only if needed

Step 3 — Update Jekyll stack

• Decide on either:
  • github-pages updated to latest supported version
  • or plain gem 'jekyll' with Jekyll 4 or 5
• Run bundle update and test locally
• Fix any config or theme compatibility issues

Step 4 — Improve the site structure

• Clean _config.yml
• Remove obsolete commented-out theme options
• Simplify the page collection definitions if possible
• Replace old CSS or theme files if migrating to a new theme

Step 5 — Add developer tooling

• Update README.md with:
  • bundle install
  • bundle exec jekyll serve --livereload
  • bundle exec jekyll build
• Consider adding GitHub Actions for preview or build checks

Step 6 — Deploy and verify

• Push the update branch
• Confirm GitHub Pages builds successfully
• Review the live site

What we do next

I recommend we do the following in order:

1. Create a branch and commit the current working version
2. Run a dependency audit and modernize Gemfile / Gemfile.lock
3. Decide whether to keep the current theme or migrate to a newer one
4. Clean the config and update README

A concrete first task

• Run bundle exec jekyll serve --livereload
• Open the local site
• Confirm whether the current look is acceptable or whether you want a visual refresh

If you want, I can now execute the first two steps and produce a branch with the cleaned Gemfile and README updates.