Answering this really depends. I think I would start with "what do I hope to get out of this process". Are you doing this to learn? Are you doing it to grow a user-base? If it's a user-base, is this the biggest problem preventing your growth? If it's learning, is this the most interesting problem for you to solve?
The Dom loads just over 1 second, but things are still waiting to show up(js?) So I'm thinking of building empty templates like "Hey something is here don't worry."
I don't know. I'm actually not sure what progressive loading is. I currently use that blur-up method but I've seen those sites that use a technique where the photo is super pixelated (large pixels about a quarter of an inch or 1/8) before loading the high res. I think that is true progressive loading but don't know what it means with code.
I do build a template and spit it out according to what is requested, but then a JS function runs to "fill in the blanks" with a secondary call for the missing data. I should probably get rid of the images formatting (based on aspect ratio) to fit into the tiles. I don't know...
It pisses me off how I keep having to rewrite/resolve this particular problem I have of deploying a photo sharing site based in a poor network area.
One day I feel satisfied with the work I've just done, the next day it is garbage and I do it again a different way.
Faster but not fast enough.
Then you get this huge block of code and feel this heavy weight like ahhh.... Slash and burn...
Am I doing this the right way? What is the right way? Look at other major sites, why don't I achieve that same performance?
It is nicer to start over but is it a waste?