+++ title = "htmx lore" description = """\ Carson Gross explores the fascinating lore of htmx, from its playful community memes like "It's So Over/We're \ So Back" and "Laser Eye Horse" to humorous controversies such as the "Microsoft Purchase \ Rumor" and the htmx/intercooler.js feud. This essay dives into the vibrant culture, iconic moments, and \ lighthearted chaos surrounding htmx.""" date = 2024-12-17 updated = 2024-12-17 authors = ["Carson Gross"] [taxonomies] tag = ["posts"] +++
I lied.
For better or [for worse](https://x.com/IroncladDev/status/1866185587616596356), htmx has collected a lot of lore, mainly around [the twitter account](https://twitter.com/htmx_org). Here are some explanations. ## It's So Over/We're So Back A common set of phrases used by htmx enthusiasts when, for example, [@bunjavascript told me to delete my account](https://x.com/bunjavascript/status/1708557665268568412) ## htmx CEO At one point there was a hostile takeover attempt of the htmx CEO position and, in a desperate poison pill, I declared everyone CEO of htmx. [Turk](https://x.com/gitpush_gitpaid) created if you want to register as a CEO. If someone emails hr@bigsky.software asking if you are CEO of htmx, I will tell them yes. You can put it on your LinkedIn, because it's true. ## Laser Eye Horse At some point I photoshopped lasers onto a horse mask, as kind of an homage to [@horse_js](https://x.com/horse_js). For some reason it stuck and now it's the [official unofficial](https://swag.htmx.org/products/i-lied-sticker) mascot of htmx. ## Spieltrieb Spieltrieb means "play instinct", and is a big part of the [htmx vibe](https://x.com/search?q=spieltrieb%20from%3Ahtmx_org&src=typed_query). ## Pickles At some point someone (I think [@techsavvytravvy](https://x.com/techsavvytravvy)), generated [a grug AI image](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1708697536587047142), and there was a pickle smiling in a really bizarre way in it. So we started riffing on pickles and now [there's a shirt](https://swag.htmx.org/products/htmx-pickle-shirt). Cry more, [drizzle](https://x.com/DrizzleORM/status/1757149983713665238). ## XSS In July 2023, when htmx first got popular, there was a [moral panic](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1683607693246775297) around [cross site scripting](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1683529221195571200). I [may](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1683607217499414531) have [overcooked](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1683649190071791617) my [response](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1683612179512057856) to [it](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1683818711763877892). ## Shut Up Warren [@WarrenInTheBuff](https://x.com/WarrenInTheBuff) is the king of twitter and we regularly fight with him. This often ends in someone saying ["shut up warren"](https://x.com/ThePrimeagen/status/1792564215749779515). You can see the htmx website do this by going to ## Microsoft Purchase Rumor In mid-January of 2024 I got really serious with the htmx twitter account and started [quote](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1745930477825868044) tweeting [things](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1745915394626351315) [about microsoft](https://x.com/htmx_org). People started [worrying](https://x.com/SusSoftware/status/1746206195461878113). I announced a [license change](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1746736273728094323) to get people freaked out about a rug pull. [I then changed htmx to BSD0](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1746880860723544211) [This is the offer](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1746895016256328079) I got from microsoft (real). ## (same thing) I believe that [this tweet](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1672264927136952322) is the origin of the (same thing) meme ## Stronger Together In December 2023, I was trying to get some indonesian twitter users to take a look at htmx, so I created a ["Montana & Indonesia, Stronger Together!"](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1734371865156563428) tweet w/an AI image. This turned into a [whole series of tweets](https://x.com/search?q=%22stronger%20together%22%20from%3A%40htmx_org&src=typed_query&f=live). ## Hinges Sometimes I am accused of being "unhinged" but, in fact, [I own many hinges](https://x.com/search?q=from%3Ahtmx_org%20hinges&src=typed_query). ## \* library People often [call htmx a framework](@/essays/is-htmx-another-javascript-framework.md), but it's [a library](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1848751101035827210) ## "man" A common [one word response](https://x.com/search?q=%22man%22%20from%3Ahtmx_org&src=typed_query&f=live) when I don't feel like arguing with someone. ## The Le Marquee d'<something> In December 2024, I [added a marquee tag](https://github.com/bigskysoftware/htmx/commit/2b88d967c19619281228d1bf5398751615bdf462) to the htmx website and started using the honorific (sic) in my twitter title. ## htmx sucks I wrote an essay called [htmx sucks](@/essays/htmx-sucks.md) in which I criticize htmx (some valid, some tongue in cheek, most both.) I also released [a mug](https://swag.htmx.org/products/htmx-sucks-mug) that I will often link to when people are criticizing htmx. ## Jason Knight Jason Knight [hates htmx](https://x.com/JasonKn99664124/status/1731555036864381251) and wrote a [great post](https://archive.is/rQrl7) about it. Please don't harass him, [I draw energy](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1756476449693872635) from his posts. ## Drop Downs In July 2023, sparked by the accusation that htmx users could not create dropdowns, I did a deep-dive into web drop down technology and [uncovered a bombshell](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1684936514885869568) ## "htmx is a front end library of peace" A phrase I will often [quote tweet](https://x.com/search?q=htmx%20is%20a%20front%20end%20library%20of%20peace%20from%3A%40htmx_org&src=typed_query&f=live) violent htmx-related imagery with. ## The Process ™ [The Process™](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1697651918858764375) is the mechanism by which people initially hostile to htmx come to be enlightened. ## "that's ridiculous" In [June 2023](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1807183339222405317), [@srasash](https://twitter.com/srasash) accused htmx of being a government op, the first in many such increasingly ridiculous claims. I typically quote-tweet these claims and point out that ["that's ridiculous"](https://x.com/search?q=%22that%27s%20ridiculous%22%20from%3A%40htmx_org&src=typed_query&f=live) ## Grug I created . ## The htmx/intercooler.js feud The htmx & [intercooler.js](https://x.com/intercoolerjs) twitter accounts often fight with one another. Sometimes its just me [switching back and forth](https://x.com/intercoolerjs/status/1859652045399355559), but two other people have access to the intercooler account, so sometimes I have no idea who I am fighting with. ## If Nothing Magically Works Nothing [magically breaks](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1729870461864226829). ## /r/webdev I was very unfairly given [a lifetime ban](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1719687461385691283) from [/r/webdev/](https://www.reddit.com/r/webdev/) for an [obviously satirical post](https://old.reddit.com/r/webdev/comments/17i0loi/anyone_heard_of_htmx/). Even the term "htmx" is banned (or semi-banned) on that sub, so people now use the [htmeggs](https://swag.htmx.org/products/htmeggs-shirt) instead. ## "looking into this" [idk](https://x.com/search?q=%22idk%22%20from%3Ahtmx_org&src=typed_query&f=live), I just think [it's funny](https://x.com/search?q=%22looking%20into%20this%22%20from%3Ahtmx_org&src=typed_query) ## "Look at this nerd ragin'" A common phrase used to [mock people (including ourselves)](https://x.com/search?q=%22Look%20at%20this%20nerd%20ragin%27%22%20from%3Ahtmx_org&src=typed_query) with. ## Joker/Bane/Skeletor/Thanos, etc. htmx is a [villain](https://x.com/htmx_org/status/1651698199478796292) in the front-end world, I'm good w/that