By George! I think she's got it!

Well sort of. I've just finished adding some valid CSS to my valid XHTML!!!!

How very exciting. I just spent the last couple of hours fiddling with the CSS just trying to get borders to appear on the table I have in my System Plan. I really was pulling my hair out, but I took it right back to basics and visited a couple of tutorial sites, and finally stated to figure some of it out. Annoyingly, the sites I'd found and flagged as useful resources in my learning proposal weren't a great help (except for W3schools) but between a few of them and this site, and a LOT of trial and error, I'm starting to figure out which bits are supposed to go where (highly technical terminology there...)

I would hardly call the table 'stylish' but it DOES have style applied to it! And OMG - I just changed the font type on this page - by adding the code!!! I am truly turning into a sad person...

And now, I need some sleep. I'm going to save the rest of the CSS fun for my website.

Oh yeah - I actually finished my System plan as well. Well, it's ready for peer review, I reckon!
System plan!

I love creating personas!

Can you get a job just making that stuff up all day? Although, obviously, it not really made up when you are basing it on reams of user research etc etc... Hang on - isn't that just called 'creative writing'?? Maybe I'm pursuing the wrong career...

The good news is the system plan isn't posing too great a stress content wise - I'd already inadvertently done a lot of the bits an pieces over the last few weeks, so its more a case of pulling it all together. And I'm loving the subject cross over - its really working for me at the moment, being able to pull in stuff I'm learning in all three of the other core subjects I'm doing. Its a small consolation for the on-going minor nervous breakdown I seem to be suffering...hang on, it's Friday isn't it? And I'm home sober? Maybe it's just alcohol withdrawal... ;-)

I've decided I'm going to need to use CSS for this system plan, in order to present it in any attractive way. Should be a good test run for the site build... If I end up submitting the document in one single XHTML page, you know it all went horribly wrong :-D

CSS insomnia

I can't bloody sleep. I'm lying here thinking about the CSS on my site. Actually, I'm thinking about the HTML as well, or more how it all goes together. I've been stalling the start of construction both because I'm uncertain re where to start and because I keep having all of these assignments due! I just want to get cracking with this, and I'm rapidly falling behind schedule, but there's always something else due first worth 20-30% I need to get out of the way...so very annoying. Especially as I'm actually quite excited re starting this project. I might have to dicth plans to play two-up for the first time in my life on Friday and spend the day coding instead....

I decided to revisit CSS Zen garden. I love that site. Its such a great way to get your head around how CSS works with HTML, but seeing so many different examples of it. Except there are too many flowery ones. I know it's CSS Zen garden, but still...be imaginative people! My back up plan if it all goes pear shaped with this subject is to get one of my designs shown on that site. That might be a good way to regain some credibility. Might go with a space theme.

OK enough rambling...

Mid semester hibernation

I completely forgot to post an entry last week after class - I had a manic end to the week getting in more assignments etc.

Anyway, I found the PHP stuff a bit mentally taxing. I mean actually working out what the hell I was supposed to be doing for the practical exercise, not to mention actually doing it. I think at that point my brain had just reached overload. I'll look at it all again when I might need to actually use it in my site...I have other priorities before that (the PHP was going to be a bonus point exercise in my final project)

So, had contact with the client and the designer of her logo. Will build the site with fake pictures and latin text while she sources all the real stuff.

I was keen to start construction this week, but need to do the system plan assignment, get that one out of the way...as well as a couple of other assignments. I swear I feel like i am constantly doing assignments and not actually getting anywhere with the end project. I actually felt bad for sitting down yesterday evening and watching TV! I haven't done that in months. Someone asked me what i thought about the 2020 summit on the weekend and I had no idea what they were talking about...it's a good thing I'm enjoying my course as much as I am...

Peer reviews - sorted

OK, just got in both of the peer reviews I was supposed to supply - it was actually quite challenging to give constructive feedback. I felt it a big responsibility, as some one's final mark may be affected by the quality of advice I give them!

I was glad that both Daniel and Amber covered the same languages/technologies in their assignment that I was - it meant I wasn't reading about something that was completely over my head, and reading someone else's take on the languages gave me food for thought. It also made me realise, thinking back to my own assignment, where I had weak points - I didn't reference any journals or books and didn't think to discuss alternative programming languages for my bonus section (although just picking the most basic ones in order to satisfy my basic knowledge is probably all the logic I needed! :-). It might have also been worth while discussing in more detail how I was actually going to use each one in practical terms. And I could probably learn from Amber's ability to express himself thoroughly but succinctly. Anyway! Enough with the self-analysis, I'll wait until the guys send me some feedback...

Now on to more practical matters. I know I should start thinking about the system plan, but I also need to get cracking on with actually building something, even the basics, if the time it took me to validate the Learning contract is any indication of the speed at which I code! I should contact the 'client' about getting the appropriate text and pictures I need, although I plan to construct it with Latin text and dummy pictures if she doesn't come through with something in time.

But for now, some well earned sleep at the end of a productive day!

Micro Macro analysis, away!

Here's the link to my Micro Macro analysis.

It's not only valid XHTML (funny how much easier that was to do without lists :-), but I even used my first ever CSS to change the font from horrible Times New Roman (I don't know why I don't like it, I just don't...). Once I realised I had the power, I started to get carried away with plans for formatting, but then reminded myself of the list of other tasks I have to get through. I consoled myself with thoughts of the website I was going to build for my final task and how much fun I could have with CSS then...

Time to make like a hermit...

OK, now that the 3000 odd word essay is in for 95566, I can finally look at where I've dropped the ball in my other subjects!

First plan of attack is to get the micro/macro report out of the way (have been immersing myself in research since lunchtime). 1000 words isn't actually that many so I'm going to have to think carefully about how to approach this one.

The good news re the last class is that the SQL stuff was a no brainer! I still remember the language from my Access days (way back now). Its also written in a really easy to digest way. Now as far as how it fits into the whole coding/website thing - hopefully i should have a better idea by Tuesday...

Check this out - did anyone notice this going on? Interesting idea, but clearly very badly publicised...
http://xhtml.com/en/web-standards/css-naked-day/

YAY!

Is it really sad to add one of those 'valid' icons to your page? I just don't care, I will anyway!!!

Thanks guys!

Big thanks to Rustum & Chen for the XHTML advice. I'm sure I'll look at the code now and have one of those 'a-ha!' moments :-)

The good news for me right now is I have all of my big social engagements for the semester out of the way - no more weddings/holidays/friends from overseas etc etc to drain my time, so I can focus on assignments and just expanding my mind.

The bad news for me right now is I have a bit to catch up on - and a few things due in the next fortnight. And I don't know if it was the flu shot I had last week or the fact I have had little sleep in the past month, but my body is sending me warning signals to start taking it easy...god, i hate being human...

I have spent a lot of time over the past week or so conceptualising what i am going to build, but not enough time actually putting any of it into action as yet. The first step is to complete the Micro/Macro assignment (which I plan to submit by next Monday - logic being I had site feedback come in a week late which has pushed a couple of deadlines out) and then actually start coding stuff.

Now, back to that other 3000 word essay...

OK. Not having fun right now...

I'm feeling particularly frustrated at the moment. My final learning proposal was ready a couple of days ago, except for the fact the XHTML won't pass validation on the W3C site...and I can't for the life of me work out what it is I'm doing wrong!

I've been trying to sort it out in between other assignments for other subjects but I'm not getting anywhere and I'm starting to be aware of time slipping away and other tasks piling up between this one...I think I need someone to actually explain to me what it is I'm missing...

In any case, here is the link to my final proposal http://students.mim.iml.uts.edu.au/users/10669683/finallearningproposal.html