I spend what some may consider an inordinate amount of time on the computer. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that when I really get into something that holds my interest, I go all out. For a long time, it was art. This time around it’s the computer, and all things related to building websites. I can spend hours on building and learning to build sites.
I pretty much taught myself HTML back in the 90′s, with the help of one online class. I don’t even think that source is still online anymore. Last year, I began teaching myself CSS. For the longest, it was hard for me to grasp the concept behind it. I didn’t make the connection between how HTML and CSS were intertwined, yet I persisted. My learning style consists of going over a thing again and again, trying the exercises, and reading anything I can get my hands on, until one day it just starts making sense. I think that happened for me a couple of weeks after I started studying CSS – perhaps, literally, some 140 hours later, ’cause I was spending 10-12 hours a day on it. I bought a book, made good use of W3c Schools tutorials, and used Firebug, a Firefox add-on. (what a wonderful tool) Fast forward to a year later, I can read and write CSS pretty darn good. I still have to work on some things, like specificity and inheritance, but these days, I feel comfortable saying that I know CSS.
So my latest endeavor is to learn Php and possibly JQuery. I would love to find a local class with real people and a real teacher. Online classes are fine, but I’d like the diversion of hearing other’s voices and looking at them. I’d like to watch how others go about approaching the subject matter. I’d also like to be able to turn to someone and ask a question. When I’m learning on my own, there’s no one to talk to about sticky areas. I have to scour the Internet looking for answers, when sometimes all I need is a simple response.
At any rate, I know how it feels to be so new that you squeak. I’d visit sites and sometimes come away more confused because the explanations were often more complicated than the question. Much of the content out there assumes the readers have a background in the subject. It can be frustrating.
To this end, I have set up a new blog which offers tutorials for newbies on WordPress and the Thesis theme. It’s a new site with a lot left to do, but for someone just trying to get a grasp on the basics, it should be very helpful. If you would like to check it out go to Byte the Net Leave your opinion of what you see, or requests for other topics. I’ll come up with a tutorial for it.
