The post discusses key figures in 90s web design, highlighting the contrasting philosophies of Jeffrey Zeldman and Jakob Nielsen. While Zeldman is celebrated for advocating design aesthetics and usability through his influential site A List Apart, Nielsen is seen as a proponent of empirical usability testing, often at the cost of visual appeal. Comments reflect nostalgia for the early web era, critique the datedness of some principles, and acknowledge implications of design simplicity that were later exemplified by Google. The conversation reveals a tension between aesthetics and functionality in web design, alongside a recognition of shifting user expectations and the fast pace of technological change.