Remember how I talked about using this software called Drupal to design my awesome interactive website so I don't have to write any actual computer code?
Well, turns out there were some pretty specific things I needed my website to do that could only be done by writing code in Drupal. Which seems to defeat the whole purpose of using Drupal to not write code. (I don't really need to go into all this detail. I just like saying the word Drupal in my head. ... (drupal) ...).
So I have abandoned my Drupal project and now have 3 text files on my hard drive: .html, .css, and .js. Html and css aren't strictly code, more like Microsoft Word for the internet - ways of displaying text in pretty ways. Okay, maybe Microsoft Word is a bad example. Can you ever get images and tables in Word to display how you want them to?
But .js is really code. Nothing hard core, a kind of simple man's code. My particular code makes an accordion menu (see example - not mine, someone else's that looks prettier). Now I'm just a bag of Cheetos, a Coke, and an oversized black T-shirt printed with my favorite WOW avatar away from being a real programmer. I'd probably have to turn off the lights in my room and just work from the glow of this laptop, too.
(My apologies for blatantly stereotyping coders. After trying to dive into your world, I have deep respect for what you do. And I like Cheetos.)
After spending a few weeks building this site, I have to admit that web design is really quite fun. And in my opinion, you only need three things to get started.
1. w3schools.com bookmarked on your browser. This is my absolute go-to guide for learning the basics of web design. Their tutorials are quick and teach you the essential scaffolding of whatever language you're using (html, css, etc) so you can build up from there very easily.
2. A starter template (downloadable html and css files) created by someone else. Go to http://www.bluerobot.com/web/layouts/ for a simple, clean beginning. Check out this somewhat dated but useful article for a list of more interested and slightly more complicated templates.
3. A real person who you can go to with questions when you're tired of trying to find answers from computers. Abe has been this person for me. I can try to be this person to you, but may actually get my answers from Abe and then relay them back to you. Really, the answers aren't nearly as important as the human contact. I cannot stress this enough.
Showing posts with label Drupal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Drupal. Show all posts
Monday, May 2, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
hello world
I'd like to start off this post by reprimanding all of my readers for not commenting on last Friday's photo (okay, Sunday's photo - why, oh why, did I tie myself to a day of the week with that ongoing title?) of Genghis with the umbrella. Don't you realize this is a very unique photo? Here's a Venn Diagram to explain.
In case looking at Venn Diagrams makes you break out in a cold sweat as you imagine yourself sitting in 7th grade pre-Algebra, here's the gist. I take a lot of photos of Genghis. He is usually blurry. He sometimes smiles. He rarely smiles and is not blurry.
Hooray, Umbrella Photo!
Okay, a confession before you read any farther. I really don't have much to say in this post. I am writing now to remind myself that I am human.
I have spent most of my baby-free hours this last week trying to create a dynamic website using Drupal, a content management system. Even though using Drupal means I don't have to write a line of actual computer code, it still leaves me feeling like an automaton.
To overcome that feeling, here's a list of some human-like things I've done recently:
- Devoured Red Velvet Cake
- Cleaned up spaghetti after an 8-month old "ate" it
- Felt the sunlight warm my cheeks and arms while driving in my car
- Squinted through a rainstorm while driving in my car
- Made several jokes about wondering whether we were human or dancer with my husband, who does even more computer coding than me, making the answer to this question even more vital
- Hit "snooze" on my alarm clock
- Put on my glasses to read
- Did a Yoga workout
- Tried (unsuccessfully) to remember to pay a bill
What makes you feel human? Or better yet, what makes you feel dancer?
In case looking at Venn Diagrams makes you break out in a cold sweat as you imagine yourself sitting in 7th grade pre-Algebra, here's the gist. I take a lot of photos of Genghis. He is usually blurry. He sometimes smiles. He rarely smiles and is not blurry.
Hooray, Umbrella Photo!
Okay, a confession before you read any farther. I really don't have much to say in this post. I am writing now to remind myself that I am human.
I have spent most of my baby-free hours this last week trying to create a dynamic website using Drupal, a content management system. Even though using Drupal means I don't have to write a line of actual computer code, it still leaves me feeling like an automaton.
To overcome that feeling, here's a list of some human-like things I've done recently:
- Devoured Red Velvet Cake
- Cleaned up spaghetti after an 8-month old "ate" it
- Felt the sunlight warm my cheeks and arms while driving in my car
- Squinted through a rainstorm while driving in my car
- Made several jokes about wondering whether we were human or dancer with my husband, who does even more computer coding than me, making the answer to this question even more vital
- Hit "snooze" on my alarm clock
- Put on my glasses to read
- Did a Yoga workout
- Tried (unsuccessfully) to remember to pay a bill
What makes you feel human? Or better yet, what makes you feel dancer?
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