Teaching me New Tricks

When I started blogging , I decided I should probably learn HTML. I had a very basic, very rudimentary understanding of the code – mostly I know knew how to make things bold, underline them and italicize font. I knew how to add pictures too. I had done some previous web page stuff – and by stuff I mean I posted a new header each month for an online chat group, was an administrator of another chat site and I “filled in the blanks” on a website template for my former union group. Essentially, I had no idea and knew nothing about HTML.

Last summer, I decided to do some ‘online’ training, I found a few free tutorials and worked through them – only to likely be more confused than when I started. And I’ll admit it was my (then) two year old son who taught me how to get the code from any website. But having all the code in the world didn’t matter if I didn’t understand what it was saying! I’d make changes that I thought were reasonable and accurate edits, only to once completely ‘lose’ the look of my blog – thing is I don’t actually know what I did that made it change.

So when the opportunity came up to do some actually hands on training, I jumped at the chance! And as I start Day 2, I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever employ these skills enough to actually develop a website (and a “good” website at that). I kind of feel like Homer Simpson – the episode where he developed a website but just stealing bits from other sites. I keep expecting to see a dancing Jesus appear with cheesy music. I’ve done three ‘sites’ so far – all just bars of colour with columns, headers and footers. I’ve come to realize that nothing in this field works without another part stacking on top.

For instance, a few weeks ago, I took an Illustrator course, which is good in its own right but now having taken this course, website development is truly nothing unless you have graphics and short of ‘borrowing’ graphics, you require a program to make graphics. It’s all a conspiracy, I’m sure, but one I’ll likely buy into – hook line and sinker!

I also think it will be some time before I publish an actual website – I have a distinct feeling that my son will surpass my programming skills before he turns four – the interior designer’s son may not yet know red from green, but he most certainly is a child of the 21st century when it comes to understanding technology! So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go get my abacus, my Letraset and my rotary telephone and phone a friend who also remembers the ‘good ole days’!