Hello all,
My girlfriend is looking to expand her skillset, and is looking at HTML as one option. I have next to no web-development experience (I remember writing up a Diablo 2 fansite when I was 14, or so), so I need some input. Here's what I've compiled so far. Let me know what I can change, improve, add!
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Audrey’s HTML presentation
Pros:
Relatively easy to learn; simple syntax, elements are easy to begin putting together. Like Excel, not considered a traditional programming language, despite the name.
Portable from system to system; Windows, OS X, Linux/Ubuntu, Unix, Android, iOS
There are a lot of resources online, free and otherwise, from which you can learn.
If you get good enough, find a niche, etc. you can work from anywhere in the globe as a contractor/freelancer, entrepreneur, etc.
Cons:
You’ll likely need to learn CSS and Javascript as well, in order to make your HTML skills marketable; from what I can tell, HTML, CSS, and Javascript bundle together as the mainstay in a Front-End/Web Developer’s toolkit.
a. CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets, and is used for describing the layout of a document, such as HTML. Not considered a traditional programming language. Don't ask me to explain anything else.. :)
b. Javascript (or ECMAScript) is used for scripting moving or interactive elements of a webpage. It’s a very high level language - about as abstract an easy to learn as they come (like Python!); no memory management, no pointers, lots of safety guardrails so you don’t collect garbage, most Javascript IDEs (integrated development environment) offer great debugging help, has a shitton of frameworks and libraries (I’ve never gotten into JS, so can’t really speak to the magnitude of it all..)
2. It might be difficult for your Web Developer skills (including HTML) to compete. Unless you’re a HTML/CSS/Javascript superstar, you’ll have to pair your HTML skills with other skills to make yourself relevant in a 1st world economy, given companies can outsource a lot of work to places where labour is cheaper. Javascript and HTML/CSS are amongst the most well-known languages - you’ll be competing with a lot of people from across the globe. Then again, the demand for such a skillset is (I believe) increasing, and will be increasing for the foreseeable future...
Good resources:
freecodecamp.org - Good split-screen set up, providing an easy, interactive IDE. Very progressive in progression. Also offers training in CSS, Javascript, exposure to generic front-end Libraries, thousands of hours of challenges in preparation for interviews, free but informal front-end developer certifications which take about 300 hours each to complete. Pretty well known and regarded.
codeacademy.com - I think all, if not all the material is free. Nice screen set-up, providing an easy IDE. Certification not offered. Good resource from which you can develop further. Anecdotally, trusted resource by a bunch of people.
teamtreehouse.com - beginner material is free; you’ll need to pay for additional material. Certification not offered, but answers/submissions are electronically marked.
lynda.com - like teamtreehouse.com, you’ll have to pay for this if you want more than the beginner material. Certification optional. Answers/submissions aren’t marked.
www.w3schools.com/tags/ - good reference resource
digital.com/tools/html-cheatsheet/ - ironically annoyingly set out reference resource.....
