First Steps with Javascript and WordPress

It starts with a simple maxim. Learn Javascript Deeply. That’s what Matt said. And it’s good advice. Javascript underpins everything we do, and it’s becoming more and more advanced every day. It’s not just the future of WordPress, it’s the future (and present) of the web. Of course, Matt mentioned this right around the time… Continue reading First Steps with Javascript and WordPress

Bringing Back the Personal Site

There have been quite a few articles recently about the importance of the personal site, and the blogging community. It’s a sentiment I’m super excited about. Rian Van Der Merwe has probably the simplest point. Blogs are the front page of the internet, and it’s their freedom that gives them their strength. All this to say that… Continue reading Bringing Back the Personal Site

The Magpie Developer

Jeff Atwood wrote this article seven years ago but it holds true:

These so-called thought leaders have left a virtual ghost town before anyone else had a chance to arrive.

I became a programmer because I love computers, and to love computers, you must love change. And I do. But I think the magpie developer sometimes loves change to the detriment of his own craft.

This seems as relevant as ever. As a developer in the Javascript world, it’s hard to keep up. Sometimes, I feel like I’ve done more “Hello World’s” then real projects. Small side projects help, but I’ve found the trick is to learn the basics of something, then log it in the back of your head (or write it down somewhere) for future use.

Side note, it’s disturbing how many links in this article are 404’ed these days. We need to all do something about that.

Craig Mod On Books

To return to a book is to return not just to the text but also to a past self. We are embedded in our libraries. To reread is to remember who we once were, which can be equal parts scary and intoxicating. Other services such as Timehop offer ways to return to past photos or… Continue reading Craig Mod On Books

How to Make Text That Writes Itself in Javascript

I’ve launched a new version of this site, but one piece of functionality I carried over from the old one is a typewriter type effect using JavaScript. It’s actually pretty simple, and with about 60 lines of code and no dependencies, you can get it up and running.

Ranier Maria Rilke

For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks… the work for which all other work is but preparation.” Ranier Maria Rilke, A letter to a friend