WELCOME

Welcome to my first series, where I aim to showcase my growing programming expertise. Throughout this journey, you’ll get to witness my evolution not only as a programmer (coder, developer) but also as a writer. It’s a dual transformation that I’m excited to share with you! Pay close attention to how each installment reflects improvements—not just in content, but in the energy and dedication I invest in enhancing both the blog and my technical skills.

The time and effort I pour into honing my writing will be the same I apply to programming, as I strive to become the best self-taught developer I can be. One lesson I've learned on this path is that growth comes from continuous learning and adaptation. Technology evolves rapidly, and to keep pace, you need to stay curious and agile.

As a blogging newbie on Hashnode and tackling the creation of a series, I initially thought adding my previous articles would be a breeze—spoiler alert: I found a workaround through links! Rather than starting from scratch, I decided to seamlessly incorporate my earlier posts into this first article of the series. This is a prime example of a programmer’s mindset: problem-solving. When Google runs into a problem, do they start over from the ground up? No way! They find the most cost-effective, efficient solution. Sometimes, you find a workaround—that's exactly what I’m doing with this series.

I’ll provide links to my earlier articles with brief descriptions and keep building on this series as I continue to grow. Speaking of which, I’ll be using this series to illustrate the beginning of my self-taught programming journey. I’ll share what I’ve learned, how I learned it, and how I’m testing my knowledge to make sure it sticks.

I started this blog as a reference guide for myself but also realized it could help others on their coding journeys too. If that’s you, I highly recommend grabbing a computer, downloading a code editor, and following along. The best way to learn is by doing. Seriously, practice, practice, practice—I can’t emphasize it enough.

I’ll also be adding this blog to my portfolio, so future employers can see my understanding not only of these technologies but also my soft skills in explaining how things work and what they’re good for.

Last note, if you spot any areas where I can improve—be it in the blog’s structure, clarity, or anything that could enhance your reading experience—please don’t hesitate to reach out. I welcome all feedback, whether it’s corrections, suggestions, or just sharing your thoughts. The more input, the better!

Mike's Self-Taught Programing Story

In the first article, I give a quick rundown of my background—sharing a bit about my life, work experience, and, naturally, my tech journey. I also dive into why I chose this path and the first steps I’ve taken along the way. As I’m still in the foundation stage, I didn’t know much about the industry or where this road would lead, so some plans might shift, naturally.

At the end of each article, I include a "Thoughts and Feelings" section, where I reflect on my current mindset. It’s a way to keep readers in the loop on how I’m feeling and thinking about the process as it evolves. Expect honest insights and updates on how this journey is shaping me both mentally and technically.

I’ve upgraded the section to "Thoughts, Feelings, and Story Time" where I now share stories about my life—past and present—to give my blog a more personal touch. It’s not just about coding anymore; it’s about connecting with you through my experiences, thoughts, and a few fun anecdotes. Expect a mix of personal insights and tech reflections, making this journey as relatable as it is informative!

Who does number two work for? HTML basics.

In my second article, I dive into the basics of HTML—what it is, its syntax, and its structure. This one’s super simple, as I was still figuring out how to embed code (no fancy pictures yet!). Think of it like the static websites of the '80s and '90s—bare-bones but effective. Despite the simplicity, I did a solid job of introducing and explaining HTML with the limited tools I had at the time.

Lets take it to the next level! HTML to the next level!

This article does exactly what it promises without diving into advanced HTML. I build on the basics covered in my previous HTML article, exploring common HTML attributes and multimedia elements. Plus, I finally figured out how to format code properly in my posts! It’s a nice step forward, keeping things simple while adding a bit more depth to the HTML foundation.

The Basics To CSS

Another introductory article, though this one’s slightly longer than the HTML basics. Here, I dive into what CSS is and how it ties into HTML. I cover CSS syntax, properties, their values, and what they all mean. Much like with HTML, I’m just scratching the surface, but it’s a solid start to understanding the basics of styling web pages!

HTML and CSS bringing it all together!

In this article, I finally bring HTML and CSS together—it's a longer one, but worth it! I explain how to style your HTML using CSS and dive into more complex CSS concepts. I also share what I’ve learned from FreeCodeCamp’s Responsive Web Design course, breaking down why each concept is important and how it plays a role in responsive design.

The goal is for you to understand how to build a website. It’s all about making sure your website looks great and functions smoothly across all devices—whether you're on a desktop, tablet, or phone. The goal? To ensure the user experience is fluid, no matter the screen size.

Lastly but not Leastly aka TFS

I’ve made the titles hyperlinks to their respective articles above each paragraph for easy navigation. This series will cover all my explorations into new technologies and coding languages, showcasing how they work together. The next installment will focus on JavaScript; I’m not sure how many articles it will take to connect it with HTML and CSS, but we’ll see! I’ve also started learning React, so expect articles on that too. Plus, I plan to launch a new series dedicated to projects.

I find this all incredibly exciting and love sharing my knowledge and experiences. I hope you enjoy my articles and gain valuable insights from them. Don’t hesitate to share with others in the hope that it helps someone on their own journey! Happy coding!