Website Designer Aspirant. Is There Something I Could Do Now?

[RUNEMASTER]

Hi! Im just learning HTMl,XHTMl,CSS,DREAMWEAVER, and FlASH.

I work in the medical industry and am downright bummed -out.

I realize I have to put in the study to achive some form of credentials maybe a degree maybe not, but i wish there was a way for me to get some experience, learn, and get paid doing it.

Just wonder if anyone has any suggestions on how one might be employed in some entry capacity that involves website development.Perhaps as an intern? i have no idea.

But I sure would like a way. Any help appreciated.


Healthcare is scary, and depressing. :mad: :(

[hooloovoo24]

Well, if you live in a relatively small town, there may be some businesses who don't currently have websites. If you can figure out who they are, you can set up some sample pages and then offer to create a simple site for them at no cost (they only pay the hosting/domain registration fees). It's a good way to get experience when you're just starting out.

[RUNEMASTER]

Guess thats a start.Thanks.

[gchick]

you can also find some people on some forums that helps guys like you

[Stephen Philbin]

Yeah. He probably hadn't thought of looking on a forum yet.

I'd carefully consider whether or not to go into web development or not. In a profession like yours, I can't imagine you'll have much time to get learning, and that may be a problem for you. There's a lot to learn about web development. A hell of a lot. It's not an easy option and shouldn't really be taken lightly.

[RUNEMASTER]

On the contrary.I actually have a lot of time.Im a freelance Nurse. So I get like 3-4 days a week off sometimes(spent looking after some properties,and painting). Im quite aware of the areas that I need in the meantime.

Im presently working on familiarizing myself with 4 areas:

XHTMl
CSS
FLASh
DREAMWEAVER

I realize there are many more areas, but these are the areas I am currently studying.Its not really a matter of time for me as it is a matter of enjoyment.
I find all the languages of the web curious.

But nonetheless, if at some point I get good at the web then Id like to be paid.

Indeed I am burnt out with my profession, but I have plenty of time to learn another.Again "taking it lightly", is not what I intend at all.But thanks for your opinion.It is appreciated. :)

[Stephen Philbin]

Well if you have the time to invest in the learning, then it can be very rewarding indeed (so long as you're allowed your own creative licence that is of course).

I thinkto begin with, you should forget the notion of "learning Dreamweaver". Lots of people dedicate for too much time and effort into "learning Dreamweaver" and never really learn anything. They just end up churning out oceans of useless crap. You can use Dreamweaver to build sites etc, but there's no reason at all why you couldn't do the same work in almost any other text editor. Personally, I use JEdit from http://www.jedit.org/ .

The two absolute core basics you need to start off with are HTML (which is in no way complicated or even close to a programming language) and CSS (which, like HTML, is very simple, is nothing like a programming language. It's a highly himan readable and simple text based instruction set.). I'd also say forget learning XHTML. A web developer learning XHTML is like a vet learning about udders, but never learning about cows. XHTML is just a small part of XML, so I'd say learn XML, not XHTML.

I recommend that to start with, you focus on HTML (http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/) and CSS (http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/). I've linked you to the actual Recommendations there (most folks would call them specifications, but the World Wide Web Consortium call them Recommendations). These aren't the most accessible of documents to begin with, but they are by far the most authoritative. If you find anything that contradicts the Recommendations, then you can consider it incorrect or obsolete. You might like to find more simplified learning resources, then keep checking back to these Recommendations. If you find anything in these Recommendations that you just can't understand and just doesn't make any sense to you, then just toddle on over to the HTML section and ask for some help and explanation. I'm sure the folks in the HTML section would appreciate a question about HTML for a change.

[RUNEMASTER]

"Oceans of useless crap".man thats funny as hell.Hahahahahaha!

XML aye? Ill give it a whirl.Great information I really appreciate it.

Thanks for the editor.


Yea I hear a lot of bad things about Dreamweaver making slackers , then some praise it as the future.It does have the code aspect to it , but I guess your right.Why fiddle with sardines when you can have the salmon (or something). :)

[Stephen Philbin]

Well I've never used Dreamweaver, so I'm in no place to comment on it's quality, but yes, it does make a lot of lazy and clueless people think they are web developers. I hear it has many handy features that a developer might find useful such as some file management features, but there's no way you'd catch me paying that kind of money for any non critical software. I hear HTML-Kit from http://www.chami.com/html-kit/ is also an excellent and free editor. It only works on the Windows operating system, but then Windows PC's aren't exactly in short supply now are they. I just use JEdit because I know I'll be able to use an editor I'm familiar with regardless of the operating system (I really hate working with editors I'm not familiar with). If you use the search feature of this forum and enter "Best editor" or something like that, you're bound to find at least one of many threads about which editor everyone uses and which they like best and why etc.

As for XML, I'd wait just a little while if you're an absolute beginner. Taking on HTML and XML at the same time right at the off would probably be a bit confusing and do more harm than good. I always recommend to people that they start learning XML as soon as possible, but a decent grounding in HTML goes a long way to helping you understand some basic principles behind XML (mostly that of data storage and standardisation).

Anyway, good luck and don't hesitate to ask around if ever you need help. ;)

EDIT: Oh I almost forgot. Browsers. You're going to need them. Lots of them. :D Well.... I test in 4 or 5 but the more the better really. The main ones are Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/), IE (which I'm assuming you already have), Netscape (http://browser.netscape.com/ns8/) and Opera (http://www.opera.com/).

[RUNEMASTER]

Yea I I got all the browsers. Heard about kit too. Your probabbly right-if your gona be a guru then do it by hand so your acquainted with the nuts and bolts. Pushing a button or draggin doesnt make you an expert.But hand coding does.

Thanks for all the help.Its really great that you take the time to advise a noob.

Take care. :) :D ;) :cool:

[Stephen Philbin]

Well I'd rather chew a cactus whilst beating myself to death with a teaspoon than call myself a "guru" or an "expert" at anything. That sort of self proclaimation is reserved for the egocentrically handicapped in my opinion, but I do put a lot of value on knowing the real workings of what you're doing. It helps to greatly reduce errors in creation of products and reduces the time it takes to correct any errors that did slip by. I also just like to learn anyway. I'm a nosey bugger and like to know how stuff works. I think it helps creativity. If you know hows things work then it means you are in the position to extend something beyond its common use.

[RUNEMASTER]

Indeed.Im inspired now.HEHEHEH! I can feel that youthfull fire in you.Keep it that way and dont look at the clock too much.
Time seems to speed up as you get older.I swear sometimes the clock hands seems to be whizzing around.

[WriteTaylor]

So adding on to this question, because I'm looking for a way out of rat race hell, how important would you say it is to have a degree? I feel I'm reasonably intelligent and can figure most things out on my own, so learning the different languages doesn't intimidate me. Just wondering if going out and getting a formal degree would increase my marketability.

Also, just in general, about how long did it take to build your various businesses? I'm really trying to build a small empire I can run from home. :p So this would just be one avenue of income and thus would be more of a part time venture in the whole scheme of things.

All thoughts appreciated. Thanks :)

[RUNEMASTER]

Hey im no expert, but Id say that as far as Web design goes.Self learning will do just as well.My sister -in-law designs websites for businesses on a freelance basis.She knows all the stuff-has a degree in graphic design, and web design as well. Nonetheless she still depends on freelance jobs My friend does better than she, and never spent a single day in college.Go figure.


My plan is to learn this stuff on my own , and take a class here and there, but save the degree for something else.Like teaching or whatever.

I mean you go to college to leanr the languages , and theyre just gona give you a long list of books and ask you to come up with a project and see who finishes first.

Its crap.Just learn on your own I figure. Of course you may need some courses along the way.But as far as web design goes my guess is do it whithout a degreBy the way.Thats my idea too.Escape the rat race.

My goal is to learn a few languages.Im working on 3.I mean linguistic languages.Get a degree in a traditional one, and learn web design on my own, as a hobby.Until i can do freelance jobs.But thats just me.

[David Harrison]

I learned HTML and CSS from a book and then built on that by helping people in these forums, I self-taught myself JavaScript through helping people on the forums too. I made a half hearted stab at ASP and made my own blog in it and now I'm making a half-hearted stab at PHP and I'm doing OK in that so far.

A degree really isn't neccessary for webdev, you just need self-motivation and heaps of free time. So long as you stick with it, it keeps getting easier. The only really tricky stuff is the browser inconsistencies but after a while you get to learn how to anticipate and work around those too.

[RUNEMASTER]

You said it.Im gona study as soon as the world gives me a break. :o

[gchick]

well good luck to you runemaster:)