All Blogs Go to Heaven

Welcome to the Web

Published: June 28, 2019, 3:59 p.m.

Edited: June 28, 2019, 4:05 p.m.

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I didn't come to programming through games, an interest in the web, or tinkering with electronic toys like many people do. I came to programming through a requirement of studying physics and math. Because of that, I was not really interested in the presentation side of programming. I liked simulations that spit out some numbers maybe into a database... maybe just into a csv. Matplotlib was as pretty as things got. For a long time I never even considered writing things beyond a simple CLI.

After working for a while in the tech industry I started to be comfortable enough that I realized I should commit to learning at least a little bit about all of the parts. I found a Udemy course (actually a friend found it) covering Django and the basics needed to create a website. I wrote the first css and javascript I've written as well as more HTML than I had written since I first wrote HTML in 1997 (I didn't really like it at the time). The course was an excellent overview and I was able to make some working sites in a matter of days/weeks.

Learning new technologies/skills in tech can be a bit like riding a track bike: tough to get started. The single fixed gear is set for speed making the first few pedal strokes very difficult, but a small guiding push can make a big difference. Once moving, everything is much easier. Similarly, the course (and this site) is not meant to teach (or demonstrate) a complete mastery of skills, but just give that little push (I'm not sure what the correct comment is here...) so that it is easier to learn things in the future. If you're still at that point where it seems really difficult I hope this blog (or the course on Udemy by Pierian Data) helps you with that push!