CSS is the reason your website sucks

 CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) have been something that I have been putting off learning when building and designing websites thus far. Honestly it has probably been like the biggest error of judgement on my part so far. I was fiddling trying to make semi-cool looking frames for about 2 weeks until I realized anything not relating directly to content is really the sole responsibility of CSS. If anyone is thinking of taking up website design (I highly recommend doing this) start with the basics of html then move to learning CSS as quick as possible it may save you about two weeks of your life.

 I will be posting how to make a basic CSS sheet that will allow you to create a visually impressive menu bar then a main frame on which to place your content. It took me too long messing around in HTML to get anywhere close to what would be considered a pretty old school looking site, I spent 1 hour this morning reading CSS on the train into work and figured out how to easily do what I had been racking my brain with over the last few weeks.

 Even though computing is frustrating when you reach those 'aha!' moments it becomes all worth it, so hang on in there and keep fighting the good fight.

The Surrey Garden - My new website for gardeners in surrey

Hi Everyone as I'm sure most of you are aware I have practically stopped posting altogether on any of my blogs, for once I have a semi-just reason. I received a promotion at work and have had to learn so much about finance my brain is getting foggy. I also and considerably more interesting recently became a partner in my girl friends mother's small Gardening company. Being Winter it was a good time to associate myself with how the gardening industry works while its the 'down season'. I also threw up a quick website that I am now working on in my free time.

 http://www.thesurreygarden.co.uk is the site if you want to check it out.

 Essentially the company is a landscape garden design company based in Surrey, UK and is what I am to be focusing the majority of my time on. What is relevant to you the reader of this blog is, computing in relation to businesses. Particularly creating website from 'knowing nothing' to creating a SEO optimised revenue generating behemoth.

 Anyhow expect more Html & SEO based posts in the near future.

Work that the company did last year, as I'm sure you can agree very impressive.

Introduction to Computer Memory

 Got an interesting link set to me from a friend concerning Computer Memory, apparently this text is THE text for understanding computer memory physically and theoretically. Obviously with memory being one of the most integral parts to programming I feel this has to be jumped to the top of my reading list.

ftp://ftp.linux.org.ua/pub/docs/developer/general/cpumemory.pdf

 As I am currently following the lecture series at the moment I will start updating what I am picking up from this text, from the first few pages I read already, just 'flicking through' I know it is definitely worth my while and will give me a great advantage in the future when I begin to practice assembly language and any other low-levels tinkering I may have planned.

:)

Advice from a Computing Professional

Not much to report by the way of personal progress, I've been giving in to my weak discipline again and playing Starcraft and DayZ all day. Wasted a potentially good day of learning so my technical hours still stand at 9,998/10,000. Which after three days is terrible and testament to the dangers of not heavily discipling your mind and your body when attempting any kind of 'me vs. the odds' type quest. Quite frankly its depressing to go from being so eager to for no conceivable reason being a lazy waste of time. Oh well this day is gone and I have tomorrow to redeem myself. Gotta be up really early for work so I plan to get some crunching of Computer Architecture in before work then hit it hard after work, maybe start exercising aswell as I can't be ignorant to the facts surrounding the saying 'healthy body, healthy mind'.

 Sorry to disappoint you if you came today expecting something worth your while from me today, I have such terrible discipline. I suppose my crap discipline makes this quest all the more epic, if I ever finish it. For now anyway, some advice from someone who managed to get his head down and work his way up to a good position in a company.

 Valuable advice if you are planning on entering into a computing career.

Enjoy -

"I've been hanging around here for a while and it seems to me like there's a lot of people on here who are still in school or are in the early stages of a career as a developer. I thought it would help some of you guys to have a thread where you can get the perspective of a long time software development leader about what we look for when hiring, promoting, etc.

As far as my credentials go, I won't say who I work for just that it's a massive company. I manage a team of 105 programmers working across ~40 project teams. Based on lines of code written my teams work in HTML/CSS/JavaScript, PHP, C#, Java and Python most often, with a bit of F#, Ruby and a few others I'm probably forgetting in there. I'm a 15 year vet, the majority of my team are guys who are just out of college or have a few years experience.

That said, here's my top 3 things you can do to get and keep a job:

1) Be Language Agnostic
When I'm hiring there's a 50% chance that I don't REALLY care what languages you've written in before, just that you're familiar with the language I need you in and can get up and running in general. Since most of our projects are short turn around items, onboarding takes a long time relative to how long the project will last (e.g. 3 weeks of onboarding on a 6 month project). Also, be flexible... I can't tell you how many college kids I just fucking walk out of my office because they tell me all about how Lisp is the greatest language ever invented and we're wrong to be using anything else, which brings me to point 2

2) Be Humble
That kid who tells me we should be using Lisp is wrong. You know how I know he's wrong? Because MY TEAM IS SUCCESSFUL. Again, I can't tell you how shockingly shitty most young guys act in that first interview. Obviously once you're on the team if you think we should switch something I ABSOLUTELY want to hear your idea but make sure it makes sense (and is demonstrably better) and don't get all butthurt if I don't agree. We work based on what the developers pitch to me and we decide as a group is the right play, which backs me into point 3

3) Remember that you're a fucking unicorn
You are the aberration here, your non technical managers, bosses, finance people, HR people, NOBODY in the company understands what the fuck it is you do. You may as well be named Merlin to these people. My job (to crib a line from Jay Mohr) is to not let management spook the thoroughbred. Your part in this is to be that thoroughbred AT ALL TIMES and to remember that a thoroughbred just KNOWS that it's a thoroughbred, when that belief is strong enough, other people will get it naturally. Carry yourself like a boss and you'll be a boss."

Remember, be the Unicorn :)

Life 2.0

 A user based documentary on Second life players.

http://www.putlocker.com/file/BDBD149C71AE0F6B#

I personally am not the biggest fan of Second Life but this documentary is for anyone who loves the internet as it really explores life's lastest dimension in so many brilliant ways. What should be a 'nerdy' documentary ends up becoming a very philosophically and emotionally challenging short film, you really do engage with the users and their lives for a short time draw parallels to your own. Definitely worth a watch.
Its main themes surround addictions, affairs, exploring sub-conscious feelings, ignoring real-life, the losers, the winners and the business of the second life world. It also poses many interesting philosophical questions about reality.

Tell me if the link goes down, I'll find a new one. :)