In the readings for this week, I was really enthusiastic about how hands-on the material is getting. I like the ideas that were presented because it relates my experience of writing with the experience I have from COBOL. Until now, they have been exclusive from each other; I can write well and I can code COBOL well, but I never really felt that they were similar or connected. Now I can see how the coding can be seen as writing, rather than my original belief that it is only mathematical at heart.

I love how McAdams talked about why she started with HTML and CSS instead of other programming that is more “program-y” and made the case that writers will see it as closer to their craft. I agree wholeheartedly, as I view pure coding as a puzzle, with logic, math, and a solution. The HTML and CSS works more like a foreign language that can be manipulated once you understand the syntax.

I really liked Ethan Marcotte’s piece on responsive web design, and I thought that he was very good at relaying information in an engaging way. I wanted to read more of his writing, and his book looks very informative, but I don’t think I would buy it because I expect to find all of that information from other sources. I thought the way that he described the process was well done, but when he added examples of what he was doing, piece by piece, made it incredibly more understandable. I also think he is funny because he wants to be an unstoppable robot ninja.

The slide show about the analogy of web design wasn’t as helpful to me, but I think that this was partly because you have already gone over the house analogy. The preceding list was really helpful though, as it brought the reasoning behind learning this stuff straight to the front.

This week’s readings seemed to drive the point home that we can truly become marketable when we learn to manipulate our web-based platforms effectively. To take it a step further, we are actually unprepared to join today’s labor force when we can’t do it effectively. Most authors this week covered HTML and CSS. However, while some advised to just understand these concepts, many more stressed the need to practice them regularly. Again, the concepts only vaguely apply to my line of work, but I do see how applicable they can be to so many other types of work. As an avid online news consumer, I definitely appreciated the concepts that guide multi-platform content. I enjoy visiting sites that display effectively whether I am on my computer, phone or tablet. In fact, it significantly impacts where I go for online content. Learning the processes for getting it all to display seamlessly has already motivated me to learn to do it well myself. It seems it is the only way to ensure my readers are happy with the content, and always willing to return for more.