I have to admit, HTML scares me. I don’t know anything about it and when I see it written out, I don’t even know where it starts or where it ends. I have always wanted to learn it, but it seemed too daunting of a task to actually start figuring it out. And as far as CSS is concerned, let’s just say I didn’t even know what it was. I was not even close to being excited as I went to class the day this was the topic of discussion.
Surprisingly, it turned out to be quite pleasant (thanks to the clear explanations of Mindy and the HTML Dog*). It’s very important to know the basics and to start off slow when it comes to HTML. And in order to not get lost (which is very easy) it is also important to understand everything. For example, HTML is all about structure. It is the tool you use to make and separate the different headings and the different texts that will be displayed on your website. I’m sorry if I seem to make it sound like I’m talking to a two-year-old, but that’s how I feel with HTML. It can be very confusing!
One of the things that I particularly enjoyed in class was after the rundown on basic HTML, we went to NYTimes.com and looked at the coding there. It looked very complicated and overwhelming at first, but after taking a closer look it wasn’t difficult to figure out where all the codes where. And, more importantly it actually made sense!
I’m very excited about learning HTML and CSS and plan on practicing a lot. I feel like these are basic skills nowadays, and as a communicator I should know them well. I honestly used to feel so left out when it came to web production and I honestly felt like I was never going to be able to learn it. But now, who knows what I might do.
*I just want to take a moment here and say that HTML Dog is an excellent resource for beginners. If it wasn’t for this site, I would have been so lost. It’s a great tool for anybody looking to take that first step towards web production. I highly recommend it!
Quite Journalistic 