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kennethreitz
2ee4b57d77
- Reduced dependencies from 13 to 5 packages (66% reduction) - Removed unused packages: pydantic, fastapi, uvicorn, pygments, boto3, pillow, background, markdown - Kept essential packages: flask, gunicorn, gevent, mistune, pyyaml - Moved docs/ from data/docs/ to root directory for better organization - Updated all internal documentation links to reflect new location 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.ai/code) Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
212 lines
10 KiB
Markdown
212 lines
10 KiB
Markdown
# Sidenotes Guide
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*Adding depth without disrupting flow*
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Sidenotes are TufteCMS's signature feature for adding contemplative depth to your writing without breaking the reader's concentration. They appear in the margin, accessible via subtle numbered indicators.
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> This guide builds on [content structure](/docs/content-structure) concepts. For styling sidenotes, see the [customization guide](/docs/customization).
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## The Philosophy
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Sidenotes embody Edward Tufte's principle that good design respects the reader's attention.<label for="sn-tufte-principle" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-tufte-principle" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">From Tufte's "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information" - every element should serve the reader's understanding without competing for attention.</span> Unlike footnotes that force readers to jump around the page, or popup tooltips that cover content, sidenotes live peacefully alongside the main text.
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They're perfect for:
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- Technical clarifications that would disrupt narrative flow
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- Cross-references to related ideas
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- Personal reflections on the main argument
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- Historical context or background information
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- Links to source material and further reading
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## Basic Syntax
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The sidenote system uses three HTML elements working together:
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```html
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<label for="unique-id" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="unique-id" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">Your sidenote content goes here.</span>
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```
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**Critical formatting rules:**
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1. **Must be inline** - No line breaks between the `<label>`, `<input>`, and `<span>` elements
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2. **Attach to sentences** - Place at the end of sentences, after the period
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3. **Unique IDs** - Each sidenote needs a unique identifier
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4. **Away from code blocks** - Don't place sidenotes adjacent to code examples
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## Correct Placement
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✅ **Right way:**
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```markdown
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This sentence makes a complex point that needs elaboration.<label for="sn-elaboration" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-elaboration" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">Here's the deeper context that enhances understanding without breaking flow.</span> The narrative continues naturally.
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```
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❌ **Wrong way:**
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```markdown
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This sentence makes a complex point.
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<label for="sn-wrong" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label>
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<input type="checkbox" id="sn-wrong" class="margin-toggle"/>
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<span class="sidenote">Breaks layout with line breaks.</span>
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The narrative continues awkwardly.
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```
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## ID Naming Conventions
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Use descriptive, meaningful IDs that make sense in context:
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```html
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<!-- Technical concepts -->
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<label for="sn-cache-invalidation" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-cache-invalidation" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">...</span>
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<!-- Philosophical points -->
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<label for="sn-consciousness-recursion" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-consciousness-recursion" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">...</span>
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<!-- Cross-references -->
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<label for="sn-related-essay" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-related-essay" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">...</span>
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<!-- Sources and citations -->
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<label for="sn-tufte-source" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-tufte-source" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">...</span>
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```
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Avoid generic IDs like `sn-1`, `sn-2`, `sn-3` - they provide no semantic meaning and become harder to maintain.
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## Content Guidelines
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### Length
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Keep sidenotes focused and concise:<label for="sn-conciseness" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-conciseness" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">Generally 1-3 sentences. Longer sidenotes compete with the main text for attention, defeating their purpose.</span>
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- **Good**: 1-3 sentences with specific information
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- **Avoid**: Long paragraphs that become secondary essays
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- **Never**: Multiple paragraphs or complex formatting
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### Voice and Tone
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Sidenotes can be more personal and conversational than the main text:<label for="sn-voice-example" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-voice-example" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">Like this aside - I can be more direct about my uncertainty or share a quick personal reflection.</span>
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They're good places for:
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- "I think..." or "In my experience..." observations
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- Acknowledging uncertainty or alternative viewpoints
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- Quick personal stories that relate to the main point
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- More casual explanations of technical concepts
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### Cross-References
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Sidenotes excel at creating connections between ideas:
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```html
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<label for="sn-recursive-reference" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-recursive-reference" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">This connects to the ideas I explored in <a href="/essays/recursive-loops">The Recursive Loop</a> about how programmer consciousness shapes collective consciousness.</span>
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```
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## Technical Considerations
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### Responsive Behavior
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The sidenote system gracefully degrades on mobile devices:<label for="sn-mobile-behavior" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-mobile-behavior" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">On narrow screens, sidenotes become toggleable inline elements rather than margin notes. The checkbox input provides the toggle mechanism.</span>
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- **Desktop**: Appears in right margin
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- **Tablet**: Appears in margin or inline depending on width
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- **Mobile**: Becomes toggleable inline content
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### CSS Requirements
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The sidenote system requires specific CSS classes:
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```css
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.sidenote {
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/* Margin positioning and typography */
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}
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.margin-toggle {
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/* Hidden checkbox for toggle behavior */
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}
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.sidenote-number {
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/* Numbered indicator styling */
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}
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```
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These styles are included in TufteCMS by default.
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### Content Indexing
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TufteCMS automatically extracts and indexes all sidenotes across your content:<label for="sn-indexing-feature" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-indexing-feature" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">Visit `/sidenotes` on any TufteCMS site to browse all marginalia - it creates a unique secondary reading experience.</span>
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- **Sidenotes index**: Browse all marginalia across your site
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- **Article grouping**: See all sidenotes from specific essays
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- **Search integration**: Sidenotes appear in full-text search results
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- **Statistics**: Track total sidenotes, articles with annotations
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## Advanced Patterns
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### Series of Related Sidenotes
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When exploring complex topics across multiple essays, sidenotes can create thematic connections:
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```html
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<!-- In essay A -->
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<label for="sn-consciousness-theme-1" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-consciousness-theme-1" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">This is the first exploration of consciousness as linguistic phenomenon - I'll develop this further in upcoming essays.</span>
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<!-- In essay B -->
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<label for="sn-consciousness-theme-2" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-consciousness-theme-2" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">Building on the <a href="/essays/consciousness-language">linguistic consciousness framework</a> - here's how it applies to AI collaboration.</span>
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```
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### Meta-Commentary
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Sidenotes can provide meta-level commentary on your own writing process:<label for="sn-meta-example" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-meta-example" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">Like this note acknowledging that I'm using sidenotes to demonstrate meta-commentary while explaining meta-commentary - recursive but hopefully useful.</span>
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### Technical Asides
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For technical content, sidenotes handle implementation details without breaking conceptual flow:
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```html
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<label for="sn-implementation-detail" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-implementation-detail" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">The caching implementation uses Python's functools.lru_cache with maxsize=1 to ensure single cached instance while allowing cache invalidation.</span>
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```
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## Common Mistakes
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### Overuse
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Not every paragraph needs a sidenote.<label for="sn-overuse-warning" class="margin-toggle sidenote-number"></label><input type="checkbox" id="sn-overuse-warning" class="margin-toggle"/><span class="sidenote">When every paragraph has marginalia, none of it feels special - the notes compete with each other and overwhelm the main narrative.</span> Use them strategically for genuine enhancement.
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### Wrong Content Types
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Avoid putting essential information in sidenotes - they should enhance, not carry critical arguments.
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### Formatting Errors
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- Line breaks in sidenote HTML (breaks layout)
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- Missing or duplicate IDs (breaks toggle behavior)
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- Placing near code blocks (creates visual conflicts)
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- Non-unique IDs across the site (JavaScript conflicts)
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## Integration with Writing Flow
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### Drafting Process
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1. **Write main text first** - Get your core argument down
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2. **Mark enhancement points** - Note where deeper context would help
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3. **Add sidenotes in revision** - Layer in the additional depth
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4. **Test readability** - Ensure main text stands alone
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### Editing Considerations
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- Can the main text be understood without this sidenote?
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- Does this add genuine value or just show off knowledge?
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- Would this information fit better in the main text?
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- Is the sidenote voice consistent with your overall tone?
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## Next Steps
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Master sidenotes alongside other TufteCMS features:
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- **Organize content effectively** - Review [content structure](/docs/content-structure) for optimal sidenote placement strategies
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- **Customize sidenote styling** - Use the [customization guide](/docs/customization) to modify sidenote appearance and behavior
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- **Deploy your annotated site** - Follow the [deployment guide](/docs/deployment) to share your contemplative writing
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- **Explore the framework** - Return to the [documentation index](/docs) for comprehensive guides
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---
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*Sidenotes transform writing from monologue to dialogue - between you and the reader, between ideas, between the essential and the enriching. When used thoughtfully, they create space for the kind of layered thinking that makes reading a discovery process.* |