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Secrets of Self Taught Web Developers: 115 Resource to Help Develop the Web

degreetutor.com — Imagine a place where every object on a web page bows its head and calls you master. Every table, every header file, every color; anything your creative mind can conjure can and will happen because of your wonderful abilities to program a website. Like a golden android from a distant galaxy, you'll be fluent in various forms of online communication

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  • jwyles, on 10/12/2007, -5/+18WOW! Now THAT is what I call a good description! Where do I sign up?
    • dotlizard, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16banning somehow seems so ... inadequate in this instance. it would be fun to hunt '1900' down & beat him/her/it repeatedly about the head & neck with a rubber mallet.

      [edited] oops hit wrong reply link. mouse hand was a little shaky from repressing anger and stuff.
    • kevmaguire, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3This guy should write copy for the Movementarians - I'd join any cult saying that sort of stuff!
  • Louis11, on 10/12/2007, -31/+9Someone is very excited about the not so difficult task of website creation.
    • armbar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23You sound like a stereotypical fat football coach who's eating on the sideline while yelling at the players because what they're doing "isn't hard".
    • crzdmn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4A lot more goes into a website when you're not building it to display your amazing life to the rest of the world.
    • xutopia, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14Show us one web site you made.
    • gspederson, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6@louis11
      Have you ever made a web site? Sure you can whip out something quick and dirty with programs like Dreamweaver, but if you want a site worth anything it is much harder than you probably think.....especially if you want a dynamic database driven site, for this I personally use Ruby on Rails.

      I agree the the above post, let's see some of your work, assuming you have any.
    • SgtBeavis, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@louis11

      Congrats, you've shown everyone that you know nothing about building a "GOOD" website.
    • stockjones, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0There is a big difference between building a little blog webpage to share your thoughts or family photo's versus building and maintaining a dynamic company or ecommerce style website or community driven site like Digg! Then again those who strictly do db or some other type of programming equate web development with creating a blog. How ill informed. Its not just the building and maintenance, but all the content maintenance, updates and yes mr programmer some UI design and style.
    • Louis11, on 10/12/2007, -2/+19 years of knowledge on the matter would prove otherwise. On a less professional note, lick my nuts.
  • maestroh, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16id hate to have to learn everything i know over again. i cant imagine becoming a web programmer from a n00b standpoint
    • gameguy43, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4learning to program for the web is really quite easy, php is VERY easy to pick up and there are some nice forums out there to help you out. Plus learning markup and styling and script and all that stuff is so easy because you have access to it all over the place by just hitting view > source
  • gmurray, on 10/12/2007, -22/+3We really need more self-taught amateur developers!
    • krypnos, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14@gmurray
      "We really need more self-taught amateur developers!"

      Com'on, now. People are self-taught in most cases (it seems) because they actually love doing it and WANT to do it. I've seen people who program simply because they can, and don't truly love it. They get lazy and just give up on certain parts of the code. I'm all for encouraging those who love doing something to do it more. They are the ones who are going to bust their asses to make things right, and do the best at it.
    • diggityiggity, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12@krypnos:

      Thanks for that comment. I think self-teaching is the best way to learn most technologies surrounding computers today (*most, not all*). I tend to pick things up much more quickly by researching, reading, and doing things myself. I also try to pay attention to those with experience (like the people below trashing FrontPage) and heed their advice.

      So, all you out there who disdain self-taught amateurs, bring the hate if you want. I want to learn for fun and self-gratification. It's nice knowing that some of you support what I'm doing.
    • armbar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+20For web development, there's not really any other way than to learn by yourself. Schools inevitably teach you outdated materials, and the teachers are at an amateur level themselves.

      I still get a kick when people talk about web-safe color palettes because that's what their teacher taught them.
    • brianez21, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Hey asshat,

      I'm a self-taught web developer with years of experience, and while I think that there are some people who would be better off not making pages, I can say that anybody who has the time and patience to go out and buy a few books on web design, etc. and learn it solidly has just as much of a right to develop sites as the next guy.

      Thanks for your kind words,
      Brian
    • crzdmn, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8What college you went to = What platform you write for

      Enjoy being taught into a box
    • reddevil3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I'm taking a web development course in college right now and yes, I agree that web development can easily be self-learned.

      Oh and as for learning "what platform to write for", I learned a lot of languages in college. Java/C/C++/Assembly/Lisp/Prolog/etc. Plus this web development course has given me the chance to learn Perl, PHP, Ruby on Rails, XML, etc (mostly at the basic/intermediate level of course).
    • inkswamp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I'm a self-taught professional web developer and programmer. I went to college, but I didn't study computer science or anything related to web development. I've since worked with a steady stream of people who were college-educated in the areas of web development and programming and none of them (save one) were worth a hill of beans when it came to this kind of work. None of them could code for ***** and most of what they did looked textbook-ish in nature and all of it lacked a sense of passion and purpose. I have worked with so many who have sleepwalked through this that it makes me ill. You could just see the traces of "I'm just doing this because this is what I learned in college" attitude in everything they did. And when I've gone to our company's corporate headquarters to meet with colleagues in my position from around the nation, I got more of the same--well-educated and lacking in vision and creativity and largely unable to put their knowledge to use in any way beyond what they were taught. Invariably, it is the self-taught ones I run across who really have some clue as to what they're doing.

      So screw you and your attitude. I have nothing against higher education, but it's a tool not an end. From what I've seen, the self-taught ones out there should be treated like gold.
  • wired4u, on 10/12/2007, -2/+51It is ok to be an amateur, but please do the internet a favor and do not use Frontpage.
    • jwyles, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Amen!
    • theVariable, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9What was the writer even thinking by putting FrontPage at the top of the list?
    • JEmerson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Internet nothing. Do your hosting company the favour of not having to turn the planet apart when the inevitable frontpage failure occurs.
  • krypnos, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9From the page:
    "... This phase is a first baby step into the world of web development; use it to learn from, but don't rely on these programs to build your sites forever. A real programmer programs; the job should not require a software program."

    I'm not going to get into an argument over whether or not Web Development is programming or not, because I know some people still debate that, but this makes a STRONG point. I wouldn't want someone not knowing what's going on behind the scenes doing the work for me. Reminds me of a class that was going on in a Computer Lab I was in, in which the instructor said that MS Word is a "fantastic tool" for professional web development. Personally, I think those tool made sites aren't as aesthetically pleasing as the ones done by hand. I don't do pro web-dev though, so maybe some tools are better than others. It's vim for me.
    • Verdanic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Well put - I self-taught myself everything through raw code, and it's led to my general dislike for WYSIWYG web development programs as they really don't output satisfactory code, nor do they really teach you anything that can be used in other environments.

      When I'm helping someone getting started with web design I always tell them to open up a code editor or notepad, give them the base for the page (probably with tables as getting into tableless layouts is a bit drastic from the get-go), and explain what they need to know/give them a tag reference library.
    • nickway, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1"You're a piss *****. Go to hell."

      Amen!
    • gspederson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7@krypnos
      "I'm not going to get into an argument over whether or not Web Development is programming or not...."

      just to weigh in, if you are talking about XHTML, I agree that's not coding. If you are talking about CSS you are getting closer. And if you are talking about languages like JavaScript, PHP, Ruby on Rails then absolutely that is programming.
    • krypnos, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@gspederson

      Uh, you kinda' hit the nail on the head there. Those sentiments mirror mine exactly. On all counts.
    • SwellGuy007, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Web sites developed with MS Word are plugging our tubes with invalid markup. It is probably the worst program out there for making web sites. It further confirms my belief that web development should never be taught in computer science class.
  • TheFlood16, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2reminds me of making fan sites for toonami shows as a kid.

    very cool story, i'd give it 2 diggs if i could.
  • Joyrex, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8Any school/institute that lists Frontpage as a web development tool gets no Digg in my book... very amateurish, and this is exactly what beginning web developers need to AVOID.
  • Verdanic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Please explain to me why Frontpage is listed... Even Microsoft recognized its horrible, horrible soul.

    Otherwise, great article.
  • addicted68098, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Rule #4 include random pictures with articles to improve accessablity.
  • pixelguru, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13I stopped reading at this:

    >> Many programmers start off using a WYSIWYG editor such as Frontpage and then graduate to more professional programs such as Dreamweaver.

    As someone who is a self-taught web developer, the best thing to start with is a basic text editor. Once you grasp the fundamentals of html, go splurge on a code editor with code hinting and syntax coloring - there are plenty for under $100. The absolute LAST thing you need is Frontpage.
    • armbar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I agree with you to a point, but I think syntax highlighting and code formatting are good regardless of your level. It's hard for newbies to look at a wall of black text to figure out which 6th-level nested table they screwed themself into this time.
    • Verdanic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Syntax highlighting is great for new developers too - especially with auto-indent tools PSpad is absolutely great - http://pspad.com.
    • Gzero, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5armbar: I agree with you, but why would they be making a six-level nested table? The only instance where using one would actually make sense...wait, no, it never makes sense.
    • sketchydave, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Install Ubuntu with one of the many guides out there and get Quanta Plus which is Dreamweaver-equivalent and while you're at it install PHP, Apache, and MySQL to have a professional environment to start writing code and best of all it costs no money.
    • Goner, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1NVU is an excellent, cross-platform, free web dev tool. www.nvu.com

      Love my PSPad for some things, but NVU is better for working on more than one page of a site, for instance.

      On the flip side, NVU is a heavier app than PSPad and not well suited for quick work...
    • inkswamp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2BBEdit, all the way. :^)

      When I started my current job six years ago, my "web developer" co-workers were using DreamWeaver for everything which was a nightmare for me. I hated it, but gradually I've managed to move the site off it and now it's pretty much forbidden. Those kinds of programs, in the long run, really cause more problems than they solve. You're better off having a solid plan for managing your site than relying on the often convoluted inner workings of a Web page program like that. That's especially true for bigger sites.
    • dmitriyvoz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0The author has mentioned very much a vital topic today. It seems to me that the problematics of this clause enables to reflect and draw conclusions. You can as to look sites in Russian which mention this theme: http://www.rolid.org http://www.se-ua.com
  • samuelcotterall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4As someone who's studied web development for five years, taught himself XHTML, CSS, XML, JavaScript, Ruby On Rails, MySQL and PHP (as mentioned) and is just about to graduate I would say one thing "Learn .NET".

    I hated anything to do with .NET, and I obsess over Rails, but in my area I've come across thousands of .NET jobs, a few dozen PHP jobs and nothing Rails related. With my skill set (that skill set) I'm looking at junior web designer jobs.
    • armbar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3If you haven't found anything, it's because you're not looking in the right places (no offense, by the way).

      Try this...it's an aggregate job listing page: http://www.artypapers.com/jobpile/
    • samuelcotterall, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Thanks. Great link!

      It's also partly due to my area. The whole "Web 2.0" thing hasn't really caught on in the north west of England!
    • armbar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There are a lot of freelance listings on there that don't concern themselves with location. That's how I get most of my business: gigs out of state and even out of country. Not too many people care if you're on-site these days.

      With all that said, .NET is a good career move, if you don't mind being labeled as a MS programmer for a while.
    • crzdmn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Yep, .NET gets me many opportunities... if you know C# just learn Java too, it's you can find simple C# to Java comparisons all over the web.
    • samuelcotterall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'm considering some freelance work for the summer, at least until something arises. That would be a great way to develop a portfolio too. But nothing triggers creativity like people to bounce ideas off in the office.

      I think the .NET issue lies with a) your willingness to use a Windows environment and b) need for a job. But I just couldn't go back to a PC.
    • sketchydave, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1.NET is useful, but learn the basics to PHP and MySQL first. There is a lot of drag and drop in Visual Studio. For an experienced developer its a huge time saver but for a novice its a crutch.

      .NET has the potential to become the Frontpage of the developer world. And I am not knocking it at all, but it does have that potential if you don't have a background in programming and PHP is pretty easy to pickup. And free. Don't forget, we are talking about self taught people and free is a big incentive.
    • sketchydave, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Oh and not to be overly snarky, but if you are "just about to graduate" of course you're only looking at junior web designer jobs!

      Developer jobs go to those who have proven themselves and have years of experience in the industry. Be happy to get a job in your field at all when first starting out. Some free advice, if you get a good offer as a designer, take it. The lines between design and development are getting blurrier everyday and you can easily turn a web design position into at least part developer. Build your portfolio and most importantly, KEEP LOOKING FOR WORK. The saying "you need a job to get a job" is very much reality.

      (from someone who just graduated 5 years ago)
    • gspederson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Check out http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/jobs


  • willcoll, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7Notepad ftw!

  • yeehawjared, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4flawed list - doesn't have eclipse with phpeclipse and sql explorer plugins.

    Eclipse runs on linux, OSX, and windows.

    http://www.phpeclipse.de/tiki-browse_gallery.php?galleryId=1 - screenshots
  • KSUdesigner, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3My college classes taught HTML only, which was fine at the time (many years ago), but now my boss has asked me to completely redesign our website. I've been working strictly in print since graduation and realized that I don't know ***** about web programming these days. This site will probably come in handy, but right now I'm working my way through the tutorials on lynda.com. I'm finding the section "CSS for designers" to be invaluable so far. I'd highly recommend checking it out, though you do have to pay $25/mo. for their service, but well worth it IMO.
    • samuelcotterall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I recommend "CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions" by Andy Budd (1590596145) - that HTML you learned years ago hasn't changed a great deal, but it's all about CSS these days, and that book really covers the main points.
    • gspederson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Instead of CSS Mastery, I'd recommend Beginning CSS Web Development: From Novice to Professional by Simon Collison
      This book was released August 2006, so it's more updated. Also, Simon Collison was a contributor to CSS Mastery with Andy.
    • KSUdesigner, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Great I'll check both of those out too. Thanks for the tips.
    • stockjones, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0html is really just the very basic foundation for structuring the layout of your page. Some new to web development assume html is the language of web development, its just a part of it. Actually these days, the whole idea of building a website based soley on tables (old school html layout) is now considered bad. As others above mentioned, you want to learn css and html. Use css with divs to structure your layout. But again this is all just the basics of structuring the layout. Then there is the actual programming involved. Client side programming with things like javascript, and server side programming using one of the various development languages available to build a dynamic site tied into a database. Then more work is involved meshing it all together and making sure it works and displays right across multiple browsers. Thats one of the hardest things about web development. Making sure your site works and functions the same on different operating systems in different browsers.
  • thebaconmonster, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6dugg down for windows only software... ***** that.
    • mottstreet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Right. BBEdit should be on the html software list.
  • cavemonkey50, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1The images next to the articles don't even make sense! Worst resource ever.
  • ighost, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2i wouldn't recommend this article to anyone based solely upon the fact that its author refers to the act of coding html to make a web page as programming. if the author doesn't know the difference between programming and markup languages, it's difficult to imagine his his article being very informative, even for a relative newbie.
  • zekaric, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Surprising they haven't recognized the beauty of using a source control system for revision control and the like. If you are doing any serious coding, no matter what the coding is, source control is invaluable. Even for 1 man shops. Missing links, cvs, subversion, source gear vault, pforce, etc.
  • btljuice, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Secret of self-taught web developers: Do not expect anything overnight.
  • ericpuidokas, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I like how the article is scattered with wildlife photography. Those photos sure are relevant.
  • Maverick18x, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The few successful self taught web designers succeed because they have the desire and drive to start from scratch and spend years honing their skills. Eric Hebert is only opening up the business to those with a "How hard can this be?! I can do that too..." attitude. Heck he suggests starting out with MS Frontpage! I have no problem with self taught web designers and developers, but anyone who's going to go far in this field doesn't need this article to get them started.
  • llynix, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I just buried this as lame. As a self taught web PROGRAMMER myself I can attest that this article isn't going to lead you anywhere except monkeyville.

    It should be "Secrets of Self Taught Web Monkeys"

    Nothing to see here, move along.
  • waltonics, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I agree with monkeyville. Ive made a few sites for friends wanting to learn html that is just a basic web admin interface that allows you to create and edit files, upload images etc.. Each website page is just wrapped in a header and footer and all the php junk needed for the overall site.. The owner then can just concentrate on using basic html just for the markup of page content. (header and footer and stylesheets of course can be edited the same way)

    Anyway, the point is that it seems to have been a better "kickstart" for your average person that wants to make a site, but is getting a bit beyond the myspace stage. I really think these days if you are just starting out you are far better to just go ahead and install a very simple content management system.. that way, you get to have fun and add content each day and feel a sense of progress.. On more adventurous days you learn the css and html by tweaking it to your needs. You progress from there to getting the hang of ftping stuff yourself and modifying a bit of the php to suit..

    After that hopefully you are at the point where you understand enough to realize that the cms you are using is a piece of crap and the only way to do it right is to do it yourself... then the fun begins..
  • jasmine1102ne, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I dont think you can get a lot PRACTIAL knowledge free online..buy books!
  • 3DProf4online, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0What do you think about 3D models placed at our web site? Could they improve the product view presentation of an online store?
    3DProf4online
    from TouchBubble.com
  • mendigg, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0reminds me of making fan sites for toonami shows as a kid.
    very cool story, i'd give it 2 diggs if i could. http://www.rolid.org http://www.se-ua.com
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