A PERSONAL COLLECTION OF WORK & WONDEREST. ON THE INTERNET
James Riter
jrTHE PERSONAL EDITION / NO. 001
LAS VEGAS, NV / ALWAYS CURIOUS

James Riter — Made for
the web.
Drawn to
the wild.

Developer, photographer, and curious by nature.

I’m James Riter, a full-stack web developer in Las Vegas. I build things for the web, take photographs, and follow my curiosity.

A little more about me
Trees reflected in still water beneath a blue and pink twilight sky
FIG. 01 — LAST LIGHT, REFLECTEDPHOTO BY JAMES RITER
THROUGH MY LENS
EXPLORE THE PHOTOS ↓
A little perspective
goes a long way.
CODE. CAMERAS. FRESH AIR.MEET THE PERSON ↓
THINGS I COME BACK TO
  • Thoughtful websites
  • Interesting light
  • The scenic route
  • Making things work
01 / THE PERSONA FEW WORDS, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
James Riter outdoors, wearing sunglasses and holding a drink, in a warm editorial portrait
FIG. 02 — YOURS TRULY

A builder at heart.
Curious by nature.

I’m a full-stack developer who enjoys turning complicated problems into simple, efficient solutions. For over seventeen years, I’ve been building websites, connecting systems, and finding better ways to make things work. A lot of that story starts with WordPress.

I’m naturally curious, constantly experimenting, and prone to turning random ideas into projects just to see if they’re possible. Sometimes that leads to useful software. Sometimes it leads down a research rabbit hole with very little connection to what I sat down to do. I’m perfectly fine with both.

James Riter
02 / THE WORKBUILT WITH CARE. MADE TO BE USED.

Some things
I know my way around.

17+YEARS BUILDING
FOR THE WEB

I design, develop, and improve things for the web. Front-end interfaces, back-end systems, e-commerce, and the connections in between. I care about clean design, fast websites, and technology that solves actual problems.

01

WordPress, inside & out.

THE LONG-TIME SPECIALTY

Years of working with WordPress and PHP, from the parts you see to the code underneath. Making websites work well, feel right, and stay useful.

WORDPRESS / PHP / JAVASCRIPT
02

Beyond the familiar.

MODERN WEB DEVELOPMENT

React, Next.js, and Node.js projects, alongside the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that hold the web together. Different tools for different ideas.

REACT / NEXT.JS / NODE.JS
03

All the moving pieces.

FROM LOCAL TO LIVE

Experience across major hosting platforms and the practical work of getting websites online. Connecting development, hosting, and the details in between.

HOSTING / DEPLOYMENT / PROBLEM SOLVING
04

Less repetition. More possibility.

AUTOMATION & AI

Connecting systems, improving workflows, and getting repetitive tasks out of the way. Exploring autonomous agents, local AI, and practical applications of emerging technology.

CONNECTED SYSTEMS / WORKFLOWS / AI
05

Make it faster. Keep it clear.

PERFORMANCE & ARCHITECTURE

Making websites faster, easier to use, and easier to maintain. Designing systems that can grow with an idea, without adding complexity for its own sake.

PERFORMANCE / UX / SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

Looking for the business side of things?

Head over to Riter Design (opens in a new tab)
03 / THE NOTEBOOKA FEW RANDOM FACTS, FILED FOR REFERENCE

A few things
between the lines.

Developer by profession.
A lot of other things by curiosity.

EIGHT NOTES FROM THE MARGIN
NOTE 01

I remember the rounded-corner problem.

Nearly two decades on the web. Long enough to remember when rounded corners were a legitimate development headache.

NOTE 02

I automate things for fun.

If I find myself doing something repetitive, there’s a good chance I’m already thinking about how to make a computer do it instead.

NOTE 03

“Can I build that?” is reason enough.

Not every project needs a business plan. Sometimes curiosity is a good enough reason to start building.

NOTE 04

The home server is a hobby.

Apparently managing my own hardware, services, and occasional technical headaches is something I consider fun.

NOTE 05

A good rabbit hole is hard to resist.

Space, earthquakes, volcanoes, extreme weather, and scientific mysteries. I like understanding how the world works.

NOTE 06

The idea list never gets shorter.

New businesses, applications, tools, and ways to improve existing systems. I have more ideas than time.

NOTE 07

I appreciate simplicity.

Software, design, or everyday life: I prefer things that work well without unnecessary complexity.

NOTE 08

I’m always learning something.

Sometimes it’s a new technology. Sometimes it’s an obscure scientific phenomenon. It doesn’t have to be useful to be interesting.

04 / THE OUTSIDEA SMALL COLLECTION OF LOOKING AROUND

Away from
the keyboard.

Small details, wide-open spaces, and everything between.
A few reasons to keep a camera close.

DRAG, SWIPE, OR TAKE A CLOSER LOOK ↗

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES RITER / FROM THE GROUND & ABOVE.

BEYOND THE FRAME

There’s a whole world off-screen.

Photography is part of it. So are open spaces, personal challenges, and the creatures I share a home with.

Pink evening clouds over an open mountain meadow
A GOOD REASON TO LOG OFF.
01 / OUT THERE

Mountains & open spaces

I live in Las Vegas, but I’m drawn to mountains, open landscapes, cooler weather, and places where you can get away from everything for a while.

02 / ONE MORE REP

Strength & small improvements

Strength training, especially pull-ups and bodyweight exercises. I like measurable goals and finding ways to keep improving.

03 / THE HOUSEMATES

A couple of cats. One Ultron.

I share my space with a couple of cats and a desert tortoise named Ultron. I’m fairly certain the tortoise has life figured out better than the rest of us.

04 / LOOK CLOSER

From beneath our feet to outer space

Geological events, astronomy, and the science behind things we don’t fully understand. The natural world never runs out of questions.

05 / ON MY RADARAN OPEN-ENDED COLLECTION OF POSSIBILITIES

Still asking
“what if?”

I’m almost always experimenting with something. A useful application, an unfamiliar technology, or a different way to make information understandable.

The interesting part is where things overlap: when technology helps explain, simplify, or explore something in the real world.

CURRENT LINES OF INQUIRY
A / AI & AUTOMATION

What can it handle?

Autonomous agents, local language models, and workflows that can independently tackle increasingly complicated tasks.

B / INDEPENDENT PROJECTS

An idea into something useful.

Applications, online businesses, and digital tools that solve practical problems or improve the way something gets done.

C / DATA & VISUALIZATION

Make the complicated click.

Turning complex information into something understandable, interactive, and useful.

D / SELF-HOSTED TECHNOLOGY

A little closer to the hardware.

Personal servers, open-source software, and services. Exploring what’s possible outside traditional hosted platforms.

ALSO IN THE ROTATION
  • Artificial intelligence & agents
  • Self-hosting & home servers
  • Automation & connected systems
  • Astronomy & space exploration
  • Earth science & natural phenomena
  • Data visualization & interactive tools
  • Entrepreneurship & digital products
  • Web performance & user experience
  • Open-source software
  • Design, art & creative technology
06 / A WORKING PHILOSOPHYNOT COMPLICATED. JUST CONSIDERED.

A few things I try to stick to.

FOUR IDEAS. ALWAYS EVOLVING.
I.

Keep it simple.

Complexity is sometimes unavoidable. Making people deal with it usually isn’t.

II.

Stay curious.

There’s always something new to understand, improve, or question.

III.

Build with purpose.

Good technology should solve problems, save time, or create something useful.

IV.

Keep experimenting.

Some ideas work. Others don’t. There’s value in finding out either way.

07 / ANOTHER CORNER OF THE INTERNET

Have something
in mind?

An interesting project, an idea worth exploring, or a good conversation?
For the next hello, you’ll find me over at Riter Design.

Visit Riter Design (opens in a new tab)