Monthly Archives: January 2014

Great online resource for learning new skills

Online Education, Reviews, , , , , , , ,

I recently wanted to brush up on my HTML skills.  I knew basic HTML, enough to edit an existing HTML file – change colors, add a border to a table, edit the font, etc., but I had never really learned HTML from beginning to end.  It has also been several years since I did any work with CSS.  So I was looking online for a good resource to refresh my

Codecademy

knowledge of web programming languages.  I found a great website, Codecademy, that will teach you the basics of coding – it’s self paced and you get out of it what you put into it.  The user interface is really easy to use and follow the lesson plan.  The lessons themselves are good sized bites of information and are organized in such a way that a busy professional can pick up and put down the lesson work easily without losing their place.

I have already completed both the HTML and CSS learning modules, and am currently working on the JQuery module.  The extra nice thing is they give you some projects to work on to practice your new skills.  They offer more advanced programming languages as well, such as JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, Python and PHP.

Disclaimer:  I have received no compensation for this review….  In fact, Codecademy probably doesn’t even know that I wrote this review.  I just love to bring attention to a website that offers a great service to help people learn new things.  This is a wonderful example of how knowledge should be shared online.

What Inspires You Today?

Inspiration, My Thoughts, , ,

One of my all time favorite quotes is from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Nothing great was ever achieved workout enthusiasm.

When I set out on a new project, new job or new adventure in life, I try to take this quote to heart. Being enthusiastic generates an energy that is addictive – it’s a feeling I get, a literal buzz, and it can be very addictive. And it’s a necessary addiction because great things usually don’t come easy. Great things are complicated, difficult and time consuming. They require hardwork and perseverance, and it is enthusiasm that will sustain you.

Enthusiasm is also infectious. If you are working with a team, being enthusiastic can be inspiring to those around you. If you are the team lead, it will encourage others to follow you. Great leaders are always enthusiastic about the work they do. It signals that they care about the effort and that others should care too.

Think about the people who are considered great leaders, who have achieved great things, and you start to get the picture of what Emerson really meant with this quote.

The full quote reads:

Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.