This is a blog for my Web Authoring Class. I'll try and keep it interesting.
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Website Development Thus Far
I’ve spent the last two weeks working away on this assignment for Web Authoring. This Hero Website has worn my little, skinny fingers down to the bone and has caused an array of mini freak-outs as well. Has anyone else gotten so knee deep in coding that when they make one little change to their code, everything changes on their website?
And the panic in those 15 seconds as you realize what you’ve done and you can’t breathe until you fix it because you’ve already spent 15 hours on something and that can’t go to waste... *gasps for air*.
Too many of those moments. But I’ve learned a lot through all this and want to share with you a few tidbits of what I’ve learned so far through this assignment:
1. Keep the code organized
Seriously. Keeping the code as simple, organized, and neat as possible is actually key. It helps to have a system of tabbing and a system of importance/organization in your code. This makes it easy to go back through and find exactly what you’re looking for in a clear, concise, and efficient manner. For example, I tab each time I add an element to a parent element. For example:
<html>
*tab* <body>
*tab* *tab* <p>
Obviously this is a simple concept for anyone the slightest bit familiar to coding but obviously when the code gets more confusing and complex, the more likely one is to slip up on this habit of tabbing. This is why I’ve really made keeping the code organized and clean a priority.
2. Test out every change
You just centered something on your CSS stylesheet? Reload the page and check that it applied. Literally reload the page for every change you make because maybe you made a mistype, or maybe you’re not targeting the section of code correctly, etc. There’s so many reasons why the code you think is flawless may not be. I almost feel I’ve actually learned more from typing in faulty code than I have correct code during this assignment because if it doesn’t apply, you have to remember why you thought it would then get creative in why it isn’t currently applying. It makes you think and the application of critical thinking in coding has really helped me to actually learn these things instead of just remembering them.
Testing out every change you make will keep you from getting way too far in your code, then not understanding nor being able to pinpoint what part of the code isn’t working. It’s good practice, especially as a beginner, and I’ve learned that it alone can save me so many hours of headaches.
3. Look at the PowerPoints before searching online
So obviously this recommendation is only applicable to those in our course, but I’ve spent hours during this assignment searching the internet for why something isn’t working or how to make it work. Often times this leaves me with wrong code which is just plain annoying... or even code that does something different than what I wanted it to because the website didn’t understand my question correctly. Come to find out, the PowerPoints Ruairi has provided us are literally so applicable and really go in depth on issues I faced during this assignment. They are straight forward, in depth, and even provide examples of how to apply them. They are also presented in an organized,categorized, almost chronological order that makes sense and helps you find the answer to your question extremely fast and efficiently.
So that’s all for now. I’ve definitely learned a bunch more from this assignment but I’m not currently caught up in the madness and frustration as I haven’t worked on the assignment yet today. I usually have more complaints and correlating lessons to share when I’m knee deep in the madness.
More to come,
and good luck to you guys,
Courtney
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Updated Idea
So obviously I need to make a follow up blog about my lack of understanding for the assignment brief, blatantly apparent in my last two posts.
I discussed my process of coming up with my website assignment idea but I thought the assignment was free range, make any kind of website for any kind of brand/use you’d like. It simply took me sitting down with the brief to realize this wasn’t the case. So the last two weeks I’ve developed my idea to match the brief requirements. Now I am making a website featuring the style icons Mary-kate and Ashley Olsen as they are my fashion industry “heroes”/style icons. I wanted to make the page have a bit more sense though, rather than just appearing as having the sole purpose of filling an assignment brief. I want the website to actually be applicable to others, that way if someone stumbled upon it, they wouldn’t find it completely useless. It has information on the Olsen twins and style inspiration, but it’s also branded in a way to make it appear as “The ICON Project”: a set of websites made to highlight industry experts in creative fields; this one applying to the fashion industry of course.
So there you have it... my updated idea.
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When you are supposed to be tweeting but just think it’s your job to share this one instead.
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Website Authoring Compatibility Issue with Blog Platforms
So now that I have my two ideas, I get to narrow it down and choose which one I’d prefer. I have one major concern though...
If I produce a website from scratch for said companies, it’s not necessarily best for them to scratch their current websites that are supported by back end blog websites such as WordPress. This is because unless said companies have web developers on hand, they cannot go into the code and make simple changes like they could on Wordpress’s platform. For example, if they wanted to update their phone number or center text it they would literally have to sort through the code to find it and then input code to make even simple changes like centering or changing the size, etc. This can be really overwhelming for someone who isn’t familiar to coding. Because of this, I wonder if I will produce the website for them in the way required by this assignment, then maybe send on a few lines of code and such from my assignment that they can then input into their platforms such as WordPress to better the layout, etc. of the site.
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Website Assignment
“No pressure guys it’s only 50% of our grade!”
I go back and fourth on ideas for assignments like this. The really great thing about our program is the nature of many of our assignments allow us to put a spin on said assignments so they are interesting to our personal interests. For example, for our most previous podcast assignment I discussed how Instagram is affecting the blogging industry and as a blogger that was super freaking cool to learn more about.
Now, for this website assignment I’m still stuck on coming up with an idea because it’s still really important for me to find an idea I’m excited to create. After all, if you find a job you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Aka... if you enjoy what you’re doing, it doesn’t feel like work. With the 20+ hours I’m going to put into this assignment, I want to be able to sit down at least most of the time and be excited to work. Therefore, I’m back to the importance of choosing the right idea for this website assignment.
I originally wanted to make an online media kit for myself as a blogger, because this is something I would be excited working on everyday. Also it’s an industry area I love and I would at the end of the day produce a website I might use in the future or at least would use the concepts and techniques from. BUT unfortunately Ruairi turned the idea down so I was back to the drawing board. Up to about a week ago I had writers block ... or rather idea block... as I could not think of another idea for the life of me.
Finally yesterday I came up with two and I’m looking forward to them :)
First of which is redoing a website that I write for called TigersinDresses. This idea came to me as I was reading one of my recently published articles on my phone and realized how poor the mobile optimized site was. The box that contained the text content literally had no padding making the text run to the very edges of my phone’s screen. Horrid. Cringe. Definitely needs some TLC.
Another idea came immediately after that as I was sitting across from my boyfriend telling him about my assignment. He mentioned how he’d love for me to redesign a website for the club he promotes, Krystle, as its current website is literally horrible (especially the mobile optimized version).
So with this in mind, now I get to decide on which I’d be more excited to complete. Here’s to it!Xxx,Courtney
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Just a Bit of Coding Craic
In the stress of final assignments, thought I’d provide these coding images that made me laugh.
Hang in there folks xxx
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Podcast is now --> L I V E <--
Check it out for a little insight into how social media is affecting the future of the blogging industry!
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Podcast Assignment
Here we go! Today is recording day.
I’ve completed my research, wrote my script, practiced, and now it’s time to record the final edit!
I did a few previous recordings on my phone just to play back and listen to them before recording the actual product on proper audio equipment. I’m glad I did this because I learned, by God Courtney, slow down your speech. Listening to the playback as well, I’m actually really proud of the podcast I’ve put together. I believe I would wholeheartedly listen to it because it’s relevant and informative to those in or looking to get into the blogging industry. I also think I would listen to it because it’s from an insider’s perspective; someone who’s been doing this for two years now. It’s also the perfect amount of opinionated and lets my personality shine through, a little branding I like to do on any of my content I put out into the world.
I’ll share the final cut later this afternoon when I’m done recording. For now ...
WISH ME LUCK!
Xxx
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Hahaha love this post Rakky!!
Helvetica everywhere!
Do you guys remember that Hurricane Holiday?
Yeah, back in that Monday, I followed Tara’s recommendation and watched Helvetica, the movie (such a nerd, I know!). Since then, by the way, I’m the Helvetica personification of this gif:
- I see Helvetica type.Â
- How often do you see them?Â
- All the time!Â
And I mean it:Â
Helvetica, the documentary, tells the story of Helvetica, the font that can express everything, the most famous typeface in the world, and how it becomes so popular and so meaningful. And seriously, after watching it, it’s impossible to not see Helvetica. I also started to use Helvetica in all of my assignments cause, OMG, it’s an amazingly simple beautiful font!Â
To summarize, it’s an interesting movie. Watch it!
youtube
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Don't worry too much if that went over your head.
Ruairi Murphy
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Uhm.
Anyone else completely lost today in class?
Good god javascript, you make me nervous.
( how I currently feel )
Just heard the words, “I don’t expect you to write your own javascript this side of Christmas.
Praise TL.
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We are no longer a producer of products or services; we are an economy of experiences.
Brad Rencher, VP and GM of Adobe
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Update: Crunch Time
It’s crunch time in school right now.
Our masters program is starting to get really serious as assignments are increasingly reaching their deadlines. Less and less of us show up to drinks after class and more of us doze off in class, unable to stay awake from staying up too late the night before editing.
We’re all starting to take this more seriously and we are all starting to devote time, effort, and basically our souls to assignments. As long as I keep that master’s degree end goal in site, I’m good to keep to going. I’m good to keep pushing and working hard, all while sacrificing sleep and the little social life I did have. HA. Do I sound miserable or what? Maybe I know Ruairi might read this and take pity on us as Applied Digital Media students. Maybe by me including that comment he no longer will. No matter, we’re all starting to feel the pressure of growing assignments and are starting to buckle down, committing ourselves heavily to school. Just a little longer than one month and it’ll all be grand.
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Smart Phone Addiction
Oh gosh.
I’m in Digital Media and Society class and we are discussing internet/smartphone addiction. We’re talking about the implications and I personally believe many adults, including our teacher, can be very dramatic when it comes to digital addiction. This would almost always be my view, that yes times are changing and we are adapting to that, but no one has that lack of self control to not be able to exist without a phone.
I completely believe that as technology advances, we as humans will use it because it makes our lives easier and more efficient. Besides, who wouldn’t want to get 150% of work done in a day when we used to only be able to achieve 100% completion. But I never really thought that technology would rule over us as humans because we created it and we are still the creator, allowing it to exist.
We just watched a video in class of a baby looking at a magazine online and knowing how to navigate it: turning the page, zooming in, etc. Then the baby was given a magazine in person and didn’t know how to physically open the magazine and turn the pages. The baby even tried to zoom in by pinching the page and expanding.
There was a pit in my stomach after watching this video. It is quite sad to see this. Especially to see a medium that I love so much, fashion magazines, fading away in relevance. The only glimmer of hope I have after this video is realizing that it’s not the baby’s fault, it’s her parents’ fault. How could you introduce your baby so much to smartphones in the first few months of their life that they understand how to swipe, how to zoom in, etc. before they even know how to use that word in a sentence? Shocking. Disappointing.
You see, it’s not the advancement of technology that worries me, it’s the humans using it. It’s the irresponsibility of individuals utilizing and abusing this technology while failing to realize that everything must be used in moderation; that if something harms your relationships, use it less.
This is my rant. This is my concern. These are the thoughts, values, and ways of looking at the world I want to instill in my children.
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Article on “Is Instagram Killing Blogging?”
Even Faster Fashion: Is Instagram Killing Blogging?
This article is in regards to my previous post....
--> An article from one of my favorite bloggers who puts out killer content time and time again. She writes in this article the rise of the “digital influencer” and their questionable integrity and lack of quality content. She explains how this is putting into question the integrity of authentic bloggers such as herself and how this could have a major impact on the entire blogging industry.Â
A really good read if you’re interested in this kind of stuff...
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Digital Media in General Thoughts
Our professor wants us to post brief thoughts on digital media in general. It’s nice how this course ties together as now my brain is turning as I’m reading over my Digital Media and Society notes / readings.Â
Also, my head it turning as I explore my Video Production documentary idea that focuses around the influencing industry and highlights the rise of social platforms accommodating this idea that anyone can be an “influencer”. It’s literally killing off the good ole’ blogger and content creator industry. It’s affecting digital media as we know it. We are seeing more and more people buying followers, taking a few pictures of their outfit on an iPhone, then posting it ONLY to Instagram and this being the extent of their content creation. It’s killing off the blogger that has earned those followers, has connections in the industry, is going to relevant PR events, is doing photo shoots with professional photographers, and is creating killer, high quality content that is specifically tailored to their target audience.
Nah, just take a selfie and post it to Instagram holding a bottle of lotion. That’s influencing. That’s beautiful. That’s the photo that gets thousands of likes (thanks new Instagram algorithm), not the thought out, beautiful, and artistic photos tailored specifically to your target audience. Arghhh.
 I could go on and on about this. As a blogger myself I hate to see this threat arise, especially because it now puts into question the integrity of bloggers while there are still good ones out there killing the game and caring about their followers.
I love nothing more than having an idea my target audience would love, developing it, shooting it, and putting it out there for them to enjoy; making something that I’m proud of, that is beautifully shot and written, and then other people enjoying and relating to it. I don’t know what’s the next thing for this industry, for bloggers. It may their demise entirely as the authenticity integrity is now blurred and questioned (as it should be). I’m going to start looking more into this.
What’s next for the blogger in regards to digital media....
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Week ... I’ve Lost Count
We are now well into CSS.
I’m actually not as overwhelmed as I thought I would be.
I find that as long as I keep up in class with the material, coding is relatively simple. Okay, so many might kill me for that sentence. It’s not necessarily “simple” but it’s straightforward, and I like that. I can get on board/in bed with that.
Even as we expand from basic html into CSS, something that the very thought of terrified me two weeks ago, I find myself feeling confident about coding. It’s seriously such a good feeling to pay attention, learn the way to do something, then do it and see a physical product (the website) that you have built from scratch. To be fair, I think I’ve really enjoyed this aspect of the course because it is super structured compared to our other modules that are formed around ideas and design theory and creating projects based upon our visions, etc.
Coding is literally:
Make this text italic.
Okay..
p .hello {
font-style: italic;
}
and there it is. In all its glory, italicized.
As I’m getting overwhelmed with my video production idea, visual communication design vibes, etc. It’s really nice to have something I can work hard on and not have to have all these big picture ideas.
I know this next week we will be getting into web design so it will get a little more creative in thinking, but still nothing like the other courses. And I really like that actually. I always tell my boyfriend I could be a web designer for a living and he replies, “But is that actually what you love?”
I think yes. I think I really love building this entire blank white screen into a booming website that communicates and idea and builds a brand personality. That’s cool and that’s seeing the hard results or your hard work. I feel accomplished just typing that.
Anyways, I’m enjoying this CSS and html so far and am excited for what’s next!
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