The Making of BAK3R.NET

Technology Stack

BAK3R.NET is built with modern web technologies:

Backend

• Django 4.2.8 - Python web framework (LTS version)
• SQLite - Lightweight database (easily upgradeable to PostgreSQL)
• Python 3.9+ - Core programming language

Frontend

• Pure HTML/CSS - No JavaScript frameworks needed
• Bootstrap Icons - Icon library
• Highlight.js - Code syntax highlighting
• Markdown - Content formatting

Architecture Decisions

Two-Tier System

The site was designed with security in mind:

# Public routes - no authentication
urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.about, name='about'),
    path('wiki/', views.wiki_index, name='wiki_index'),
    path('contact/', views.contact, name='contact'),
]

# Private routes - @login_required
urlpatterns += [
    path('dashboard/', views.dashboard, name='dashboard'),
    path('files/', include('files.urls')),
]

This separation ensures public content is accessible while keeping private features secure.

Monolithic CSS Design

All styling lives in templates/base.html using CSS variables:

:root {
    --neon-cyan: #00ffff;
    --neon-pink: #ff00ff;
    --neon-green: #00ff00;
    --dark-bg: #0a0a0f;
}

Benefits: - Single source of truth for theming - No build process required - Easy theme customization - Fast page loads

Custom Middleware

Traffic tracking is handled by custom middleware:

class TrafficCounterMiddleware:
    def __call__(self, request):
        if request.user.is_authenticated:
            # Track page views
            # Track unique visitors
            # Update daily counters

Development Journey

Phase 1: Core Setup

1. Django project initialization
2. User authentication system
3. Basic routing structure

Phase 2: Public Features

1. About page with site information
2. Contact form with email integration
3. Wiki system with markdown support

Phase 3: Private Features

1. Dashboard with IP widget
2. File transfer system
3. Traffic analytics
4. Favorite links manager

Phase 4: Polish

1. Cyberpunk theme implementation
2. Responsive design
3. Security hardening
4. Performance optimization

Key Features Implemented

Wiki System

• Markdown content with syntax highlighting
• Categories and tags for organization
• View counter
• Featured articles

File Transfer

• Secure uploads with permission checks
• Public/private file sharing
• Owner-based access control

Traffic Analytics

• Page view tracking
• Unique visitor sessions
• Daily statistics

Lessons Learned

1. Keep it simple - Pure CSS can achieve beautiful designs
2. Security first - Always use decorators for protected routes
3. DRY principle - Template inheritance saves time
4. User experience - Fast, responsive, no unnecessary complexity

Future Enhancements

• Search functionality for wiki articles
• API endpoints for mobile apps
• Advanced analytics dashboard
• Comment system for articles
• Multi-user collaboration features

Built with ⚡ and 💜 in the cyberpunk spirit.