Ask it to come up with analogies

Tell it “explain it to me like I’m a ____”

…

This is the first version of it: https://github.com/bridean/color-labels-for-posts-and-pages.

A while ago I thought, it’d be really useful if I could navigate through WordPress pages, posts that are color-coded (coloring the whole page/post menu item HTML element) so I could find certain ones quicker. I started looking around for a plugin that could do this and I couldn’t find one. I searched again this spring, with various keywords, key phrases and I still couldn’t find one. So, I decided to go forward with developing & designing such a plugin and did my research on what’s required of a WordPress plugin. I’m working on some finishing touches before I submit it to the WordPress.org plugin directory. Hopefully they’ll accept it & I’m considering making a premium version with many other features I have in mind.

If you’d like to check it out, go to the link above.

I understand the excitement, fears, concerns regarding the AI chatbots both in general and with the information technology field I’ve been part of and I’d like to make my take on it clear. 

For my line of work, my digital arts and my own websites there are things I will and will not use it for, as stated below.

Will use for:

• Producing code to achieve a back-end or front-end development goal. 
• Content creation for client
  • If the client wants me to use AI generated content
  • If client has a lack of needed content for their site which needs to be filled in, for which I may generate content (images, text copy) with AI. I make this clear & ask for it to be approved before anything goes live (public). Only rarely will I come up with custom, non-AI content for a client because that work falls too far outside my specialty. 

Will not use for:

• Creating art, graphics. I don’t even like using the AI stuff in Photoshop, at least for now. The only way it may be involved would be in working out the nuts and bolts of something like an application that 

Link to it here: SASS certification from Codecademy. I always wanted to have a fuller grasp of SASS, by now I feel much more confident with it. If I can justify giving myself the time to do so I’d like to experiment with it more including in an artistic manner. I haven’t had to know SASS for a job or gig before somehow, even for larger sites I’ve worked on, but I’ve figured I’ll eventually have to.

I acknowledge that experience and samples of work count more to some than a certificate, I don’t assume a certificate proves competence 100% with any given skill. I shot for this to stay familiar & comfortable with SASS. Since I’ve never had to use it & have had no reason to need to use it, therefore less practice. I have a lot going on lately but hopefully can find & make time to “show and tell” some kind of interesting SASS experimentation projects of my own, outside of what I’ve completed in any online course. Stay tuned!

As you may or may not know, I’ve been dabbling in experimental animation since the late ’90s and I was once a Flash designer/developer. Since Steve Jobs — and hence the whole web industry — publicly rejected Flash in the ’10s I became adrift in the standards-friendly in my field of front end web design. Soon to be former Flash designers were often told they could create the same content with a combination of HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript libraries. My problem with that was that most visual artists like myself can’t simply replicate Flash content with those scripting languages, especially since most visual artists aren’t of a technical bent.

I didn’t give up on my passion for (interactive) animation for the web though. One day while I was living in Portland 9 years ago I was wandering through Powell’s City of Books bookstore, still the biggest bookstore in USA, and in the tech section I stumbled upon a damn interesting looking book about something called ‘Processing‘. It was within the JavaScript section and from what I roughly remember the book cover had an abstract, mathy visual pattern which reminded me of a Flash book I had on creative coding. I checked out other books near this Processing book and discovered at least one book on something called p5.js which seemed very similar. Soon I figured out that p5.js (p5, for short) is pretty much the same thing, only it’s a JavaScript library whereas Processing is Java-based. I quickly realized a great deal of potential with these coding languages for me, to create the kind of geeky yet artistic content that I’d been in the groove of creating before and I realized. I never went as far as I really wanted with Flash and I wanted to get back in that groove with something like these coding languages. Acknowledging this would be more challenging than Flash I chose to start with p5 instead of Processing since I already know JavaScript and had zero interest in learning Java, spreading myself thin at a time when I felt getting too general & broad with my skills could be a bad direction. 

Focusing on a combination of technical skills, industry trends, and soft skills is crucial. Here’s a comprehensive guide:

1. Advanced Technical Skills:

• Deep WordPress Core Knowledge: Understand the core PHP code that WordPress is built on, including how to modify and extend it through plugins and themes.
• Custom Theme Development: Ability to create custom themes from scratch that are responsive, SEO-friendly, and accessible.
• Plugin Development: Skills in developing custom plugins to add unique functionality to a WordPress site.
• Front-end Technologies: Proficiency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and pre-processing platforms like SASS or LESS. Knowledge of front-end frameworks like React.js or Vue.js is increasingly valuable, especially with the rise of headless WordPress.
• Back-end Technologies: Strong grasp of PHP and MySQL. Knowledge of RESTful APIs and GraphQL for integrating with third-party services and building web applications.
• Version Control: Familiarity with Git for tracking changes, collaborating with teams, and deploying code.

2. Performance Optimization:

• Speed Optimization: Understanding of caching mechanisms, CDN integration, image optimization, and minimizing HTTP requests.
• Security: Knowledge of best practices for securing WordPress sites, including securing data, preventing common vulnerabilities, and regular maintenance routines.
• SEO: Skills in optimizing WordPress sites for search engines, understanding of SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, and adherence to web standards.

3. Project Management and Workflow:

• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with agile development processes and tools like Jira or Trello.
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Understanding of CI/CD pipelines for automated testing and deployment.
• Collaboration Tools: Proficiency with collaboration and version control tools such as Git, GitHub, Bitbucket, or GitLab.

4. Soft Skills:

• Problem-Solving: Ability to troubleshoot issues, think critically, and come up with effective solutions.
• Communication: Clear communication skills, both written and verbal, for collaborating with team members and clients.
• Time Management: Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines efficiently.
• Continuous Learning: Commitment to staying updated with the latest technologies, WordPress updates, and industry trends.

5. Additional Considerations:

• Community Involvement: Participation in WordPress forums, contributing to open-source projects, or speaking at WordPress meetups and conferences can showcase your commitment and expertise.
• Certifications and Courses: While not always necessary, certifications in relevant technologies or completion of advanced WordPress development courses can bolster your resume.
• Portfolio Development: A strong portfolio demonstrating your WordPress projects, including themes, plugins, or contributions to open-source projects, can significantly enhance your job prospects.

Focusing on these areas will not only prepare you for senior-level roles but also differentiate you in the competitive job market for WordPress developers.

A link to download examples of my graphic design from when I worked at Rotovac as their webmaster & graphic designer