Just when I felt as though I was getting the hang of creating posts and understanding code, Dr.P throws coding language in my face. Although intended to be a soft toss, it hit me like a brick wall. While reading the background information I felt confident that I was understanding what was being said; however, when it was time for the activity I felt completely helpless. Office hours seem very near in my future… At the end of the week, however, I am thankful for the challenge and eager to learn more about the art of coding(even if its just for a simple blog). As I’m navigating this course I want to learn as much as I can to harness these skills because my goal is to be able to confidently talk about basic coding terms and understand how to insert a graphics.
Being able to view the source code for the background reading was especially helpful. I feel as a visual learner when it is in front of me and I am able to see the product the code produces, I understand it better than if I’m just reading the text and unable to compare the side by side code and product. For example, when creating a list I was guessing and checking a lot of my work due to the fact that the information provided to make a list was accompanied by a grocery list. Whereas linking a website was much easier because you did it for us in our introductory post. In order to prove my new skills to you I will link an article to a picture (since I haven’t learned how to insert an image yet) to how coding makes me feel. Please check back with me every week so you can see how I’m coping with learning code.
On a more serious note, I found the reasoning behind why code is important to writing especially interesting. I’ve always loved language and the way we can use words, no matter the dialect, to convey how we are feeling. That’s one of the many reasons why I adore writing. Before the Monday reading I had never considered coding a form of language that could help someone express themselves. In my mind, I compartmentalize coding with mathematics and science: fact based and structured. However, there are facets to code that also include language and orality. I just question whether this will diminish the integrity of the written word. In this article The Guardian explores whether handwriting as an art form has become archaic due to the rapid popularity of typing. The most shocking statistic to me was that one in three respondents to a British survey sent out to 2000 people had not written anything by hand in the previous six months. To me this is worrisome but believable. The only things I write by hand anymore are my planner and my calendar. I hope that handwriting in general is still valued twenty years from now. Although, my gut tells me that coding and keystrokes will eventually consume handwriting altogether.