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Welcome to WebSpark

Your Gateway to Innovative Web Applications

PromptSpark

Interact with many system prompts for Large Language Models (LLMs).

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AsyncSpark

Explore the power of asynchronous programming in .NET 10 with our comprehensive demonstration.

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TriviaSpark

Engage in fun and challenging trivia games. TriviaSpark offers a variety of quizzes to test your knowledge and keep you entertained.

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RecipeSpark

With RecipeSpark, You can manage recipes for the website.

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WebSpark CMS

Manage the content for the websites powered by WebSpark.

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WebSpark, developed by Mark Hazleton, is a family of web applications designed to enhance your digital experience. Built on the Microsoft .Net 10 framework and using Bootstrap 5, WebSpark offers a range of tools for various needs.

The Evolution of WebSpark

From Web Project Mechanics to WebSpark: A Journey of Innovation in Web CMS

My 25-year journey in web development began in 1999 when I purchased my first domain, Frogsfolly.com, and launched it using FrontPage to generate HTML files. This early experience laid the foundation for my understanding of web technologies.

WebSpark, my current web content management system (Web CMS), has a rich history that began with the creation of Web Project Mechanics. It all started as a way to share photos of my children in a private, protected way while my wife and I were on expatriate assignments in Poland and the UK. Initially developed using Java Server Pages (JSP), it was quickly migrated to the Microsoft Stack, including using MS-Access as the backing database.

  • 1999 - Purchased Frogsfolly.com and launched it using FrontPage to generate HTML files.
  • 2003 - Created a basic web CMS built with JSP at first and then with Active Server Pages.

  • 2002 - ASP.NET: Launch of the .NET Framework with support for Web Forms.
  • 2008 - Transitioned Web Project Mechanics to .NET Framework, enhancing performance and scalability.
ASP.NET was a game changer, enabling me to build a full CMS using an Access database backend. This multi-tenant solution hosted multiple sites, including ProjectMechanics.com, Frogsfolly.com, and ControlOrigins.com.

  • 2009 - ASP.NET MVC: Introduction of the MVC design pattern for web applications.
  • 2016 - ASP.NET Core: A cross-platform, high-performance framework.
Throughout this period, I kept the solution current with each ASP.NET upgrade to 4.8, hosting as many as 150 different domains on a single Access database.

  • 2020 - .NET 5: Unification of .NET Framework and .NET Core.
  • 2021 - .NET 6: Introduction of Long-Term Support (LTS).
  • 2022 - .NET 7: Focus on productivity enhancements and cloud-native applications.
  • 2023 - .NET 8: Further performance improvements and streamlined development features.
The strength and versatility of .NET Core, and eventually .NET 8, convinced me to rewrite Web Project Mechanics entirely, leading to the birth of WebSpark. Built with .NET 8 and Bootstrap 5, WebSpark offers a suite of applications like PromptSpark, RecipeSpark, and TriviaSpark, designed to meet modern digital needs.

  • 2024 - .NET 9: Enhanced performance, new features for cloud-native development, and AI integration support.
Starting in September 2024, WebSpark has been upgraded to .NET 9, taking advantage of the latest advancements in the framework. This update allows for better performance, enhanced security, and integration with modern technologies like AI and machine learning. The continuous evolution of WebSpark reflects my commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies to create dynamic, scalable, and user-friendly web solutions.

  • November 2025 - .NET 10: Upgraded to .NET 10 (General Availability), leveraging latest framework features, performance improvements, and security updates.

Major Technical Achievements:

  • Big Bang Migration Strategy: Successfully upgraded all 11 projects simultaneously from .NET 9.0 to .NET 10.0 in a single coordinated operation.
  • Package Modernization: Updated 21 NuGet packages to .NET 10.0-compatible versions, including Entity Framework Core, ASP.NET Core Identity, and SignalR components.
  • Security Enhancement: Resolved Azure.Identity security vulnerability (1.17.0 → 1.17.1), addressing deprecated MSAL.NET dependency.
  • Framework Optimization: Removed redundant System.Text.RegularExpressions package references as functionality is now included in the .NET 10.0 framework.
  • Zero Build Errors: Achieved clean migration with 47/47 unit tests passing and 0 build errors.

SEO Optimization Improvements:

  • Semantic HTML Structure: Enhanced page markup with proper heading hierarchy and semantic HTML5 elements for better search engine crawling.
  • Meta Tag Optimization: Implemented comprehensive meta descriptions, Open Graph tags, and structured data for improved social media sharing and search visibility.
  • Performance Enhancements: Optimized page load times through improved static asset handling and lazy loading strategies.
  • Mobile Responsiveness: Enhanced responsive design for better mobile user experience and improved mobile search rankings.
  • Accessibility Improvements: Added proper ARIA labels and semantic markup to improve accessibility scores and SEO rankings.

This upgrade demonstrates WebSpark's commitment to staying current with the latest .NET technologies while continuously improving user experience, security, and search engine visibility. The migration was completed using GitHub Copilot's AI-assisted upgrade tools, showcasing the power of modern development workflows.