08 1 / 2011

Bored? Give this a whirl

For my interview Monday, I’m using the company’s API & main stylesheet to build a little site for filtering through their data. I highly recommend building little sites like this. Since I started a little more than 24 hours ago, I have learned a tremendous amount.

In working with their API, I have gotten more familiar with Javascript, JSON, and how to wrestle with an API. That in itself is great- but there is more! When you build a site off an established company’s site, you see how their HTML is structured, and the intricacies of their CSS styling. Ex. using CSS Sprites for cool little add-ons. The cherries on your digital sundae!

So if you find yourself without a grand idea, pick one of your favorite sites. Dig into their front-end, and make a new site following their lead. As the Aussies would say, ‘You’ll learn heaps!’

Tags:

Permalink 6 notes

30 12 / 2010

Crowdsourced Front-End Dev Interview Questions

A little background information - I applied to a Front End Dev position, and have an interview coming up next Tuesday. As this will be my first interview for a dev position, I want to be totally prepared. In the last post, I mentioned I had aggregated a list of questions from around the web on HTML, CSS, and JS. After Arpit’s comment to post the list, I thought I’d do one better - let’s crowdsource this thing!

So in the spirit of Mark Zuckerberg’s crowdsourced exam questions, I’ve opened the page up.

—>Anyone can add questions & answers to this page!<—

If you all can help add questions to it, that would be awesome. Here are the links I have found, but have yet to put in the questions.

HTML & General

CSS

JS

I’m going to keep adding these questions to the master list as I think there are plenty of people who would find this very useful. 

***If you do add questions to the master list, please leave a comment on this post, and I’ll mark that page out so we have as few duplicates as possible.***

Thanks again guys and Happy New Year!

Tags:

Permalink 9 notes

19 10 / 2010

Learning HTML & CSS (and a little Photoshop)

Over the last week, I have been getting more familiar with HTML & CSS. It has definitely been fun, and a great place to start for people interested in Web Development. The main thing I learned:

Keep your HTML clean by using DIVs, and use CSS for styling.

As a child of the 90’s Geocities community, I’ve used my fair share of <center> & <b> to wrestle pages into submission. However those days are over. 

Here are the resources that showed me the wrong in my ways…

——

Required reading recommended by my friend Joel Sutherland

From Print to the Web: A Designer’s Guide

Design For Efficiency: Photoshop Techniques & Templates

——

Photoshop

Creating the Photoshop Mockup

Create a Promotional iPhone App Site in Photoshop

From PSD to CSS/HTML

From PSD to HTML, Building a Set of Website Designs Step by Step

——

HTML & CSS

HTML 5 and CSS 3: The Techniques You’ll Soon Be Using

Coding a HTML 5 Layout From Scratch

Coding a CSS3 & HTML5 One-Page Website Template

Tags:

Permalink 1 note

14 10 / 2010

Goal: Web Programmer

After the last post, I received a few words of encouragement, and a few valid critiques. 

Proudn00b seems like it’s going nowhere for a while. Designing Tumblr themes is something my bored teenager sister does when she is grounded. You desperately need an internship, and a purpose where you are focusing on something else rather than you.

—

I think if you truly want to be a programmer, you need to be going through as much of this content available. Taking a month to play with tumblr themes isn’t going to get you very far. What other time in history can you learn from the masters in any given field for free, on your own time. Granted, having no prior experience and deciding, “I want to be a programmer,” may have been a mistake. This lifestyle and thought process definitely isn’t for everyone. 

Gut check?

—

Thank you for your comments! The main thing is, if you didn’t care, you wouldn’t put in the time to write. I greatly appreciate the feedback. But I do need to clarify what my goal is.

The goal is to become a Web Programmer. 

Not the best Python, CSS, or JS programmer, but a solid web programmer. A jack of all trades. I want to be able to take my ideas, build a scalable MVP (minimum viable product), and get it out the door. It’s ludicrous to think I will become the next Cal Henderson without years of diligent practice. So let me set the record straight on what I am looking to accomplish, and what this blog is about.

How will I get there? Python courses? Tumblr Themes!?! Internships?

After two months of exploration, and building little side apps, like Dotty-dots, I have a bit of an understanding of how it all works. “Enough to be dangerous.” But not enough to be truly proficient. I could hack something together reading tutorials, grabbing open code, and wrestling it through error messages. With this foundation, it is time to work towards the next level. From n00b to OK.  Here are the reasons why I think it makes sense to now focus on front-end work, and then meet up with Python again in a few weeks.

First, I already know a bit of HTML & CSS. I’m not learning from the ground floor as I am with Python. For someone to transition their career into programming, it makes sense to learn HTML & CSS as it is easier to become highly proficient with HTML & CSS, than it is with Python. 

Second, by focusing on my front-end skills, I can get side gigs working on websites for family and friends. Little HTML jobs won’t make me rich, but it will pay the bills as I continue through this process. Can’t argue with that.

Third, after I solidify my front-end skills the rest of this month, I can transition back to Python & Django. Internships and other formal opportunities are a great idea. I am talking with a few friends next week about that exact idea.

Finally, in Silicon Valley, there is a big need for generalists - people who can do a bit of design & a bit of the programming. Yes, you have to be great, but that is what I’m working towards.

The blog will reflect this transition with more tutorials, and less ‘I’ or ‘me’ posts. This includes a drop in the number of posts each week. Each post should be informative and of the highest quality that an unprofessional blogger can produce. I am not trying to get proudn00b the most pageviews, but the highest quality audience that can contribute towards this discussion of helping others become programmers. 

There isn’t a direct path to this goal, but I am trying to blaze a trail that others can try and follow. Some days I’ll get lost and try some crazy idea, but that is so you all won’t make those same mistakes. 

Have a great Thursday!

Tags:

Permalink 3 notes

12 10 / 2010

Working towards a goal

If I don’t have a goal to work towards, then I don’t work. I waste time and have little drive. To get this cart back on course, I’m going to make 20 Tumblr themes - 1 a day -for the rest of the month. 

The problem with the goal I set forward, ‘to learn how to code,’ is that it’s vague. It isn’t very focused- which has been a blessing. With this freedom, you can explore any little area that draws your interest. But, that also means you won’t dig very deep either. This bothers me.

I want to have mastery in something. A marketable skill. Something to “bank on.” With this goal in mind, I started looking at what I know- Tumblr. Having spent many hours tweaking and playing on my theme, I have a pretty solid understanding of the platform. With many front-end guys making a living off Wordpress themes, and Tumblr’s growing usage, I think this could be that ‘bankable skill.’  

Making themes will become my focus day in, and day out. Learning UX, design, topography, CSS, and jQuery. By narrowing my focus, I can master one area, and be ready when that next idea strikes. Buswheel lost its luster the more I worked on it- and I think that may have been a problem. It’s like forcing a relationship that isn’t working. Swallow your pride, admit it isn’t working, and move on to better things. 

Following what Steve Jobs said,

“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “no” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

The second piece to the rest of this month, is figuring out my new routine in San Francisco. Two weeks have gone by, with very little to show. This frustrates the hell out of me.

Let’s start things slowly-

Along with my first theme … working by 9am, get 1 run in during the day, and 1 cup of tea. Those are my goals for today. 

Here’s to Tuesday

Tags:

Permalink 1 note