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Happy holidays everyone, I’ve (almost) completed my Intro to Python course and am excited to share some news and updates! Python is a hot programming language used for all kinds of applications and is in much demand. I’ve made three interesting apps: a drawing app, an multi-language translator, and a personal assistant application that manages a to-do list and a birthdays reminder. Unfortunately, I can only share the drawing app with you, because the other two use a module that has been unable to fix its issues with the server used to display the programs: Repl.it.

So check out this simple drawing app using a module called Turtle. To use it press the green “Run” button and follow the instructions using the black screen underneath the program on the right. This is my first Python app and isn’t very flashy, but it works! Take a look at the code on the left, that’s Python. The code that goes into the other apps is maybe 500 times bigger. https://repl.it/@EMcDz/110-L7-Hard-Get-Creative-with-the-Turtle-Module-Starter#main.py As soon as we can find another way to get those running I will share them too.

This is the fourth programming language I’ve learned and I’m really enjoying it. What’s great is that they all have similarities that make the next one easier to learn, so I picked it up much faster than the others even though Ruby is probably the easiest one.

Now for the news. I got some great advice from tech-wizard, super-homie, keeper-of-the-cactus Matt Schiller who helped me decide my next avenue in the industry. I will be focusing on what they call the back-end, which is basically programming. It’s a lot more interesting to me, plus there’s a lot more opportunities for the future.

Also, for some really cool news, one of my best-buds, three-time-doubles-golf-champion-partner Stephen Rankin is founding a new app that’s coming out in March called Chillow. It’s kind of hilarious, but also exciting roommate finder app with swiping and some really innovative features like ex-roommate reviews and some other maybe more secret functions yet to be unveiled. He gave me some intel on which programs to focus on that would be useful to his company in the future. I’ll have a pretty good shot at an entry level position there!

Both of these guys were roommates of mine – I wonder how they’d rate me on Chillow… Super stoked to have some awesome friends to help guide me down this path. Next year was so much better, can’t wait to come out of this thing alive.

Not too long ago, I finished an introduction course to a programming language called Ruby. I made a bunch of cool applications, all of which can only be used on my computer. I haven’t posted in a while because there wasn’t really anything I could post. If you were here, you could see…

A hangman game with tens of thousands of answers. A numerology calculator that takes your birthdate, gives you your number and your “horoscope”. A recipe suggester for when you want to try something new. A bingo card generator. A very simple chatbot, and many other little projects to learn programming in Ruby.

To get these projects on the web, I need to learn Rails. It’s what they call Ruby on Rails. What’s crazy, is that the Rails course was gone from the curriculum when I finished the Ruby course. Apparently it’s not as in demand as it used to be 6 months ago, so they took it off the program! The instructors did give me access to the classes, so I can take them if I want, which I probably will eventually.

So, with some possible website clients in the near future, I decided to do an advanced CSS course, which is all about styling responsive websites. I have some pretty sites to share that demonstrate some cool ways to layout sites for different screen sizes. If you look at them on a desktop, and shrink the screen, you can see how the layout changes. https://ianmcdavid.github.io/HometownNews/ https://ianmcdavid.github.io/tuliptown/

Check em out! Which one do you like?

Want to know the secret to my success? How I managed to learn how to code and immediately start making money with my coding skills, while continuing to learn?

The answer is simple: WordPress.

WordPress is one of those incredible open source gifts that just gives and gives and gives some more. And for the beginning coder who wants to keep learning new programming skills while making some money, WordPress is hands down the way to go.

For those of you not familiar with the platform, WordPress is an open source content management system built in PHP. Originally, WordPress was designed for blogging. But now, thanks to the creation of custom post types and the hard work of thousands of WordPress plugin developers, the platform can do much, much more.

I, like most developers, built my first website using HTML and CSS. Shortly thereafter, a good friend of mine suggested that I look into hacking around in WordPress. What he explained to me is that WordPress was a great content management system, and could be a good way for me to get familiar with some basic programming concepts like templating, working with loops, learning about database, and more fun things like that, while also building cool custom websites.

He spent 30 minutes explaining to me how the application is set up and where to look for more information, and that was it, I was off to the races. Me and my new friend WordPress soon became inseparable.

For a good year or so after that, I had a great side hustle going building marketing and content publishing websites with what can only described as an extremely limited tech skillset.

Now, I look back at the websites I created with WordPress before I really knew anything about programming with a mix of horror and amazement.

But honestly, I really shouldn’t be embarrassed because though they weren’t particular programmatically exciting, WordPress made it easy to build extremely robust custom marketing and content publishing websites even with only a small set of skills. Four years later, many of the websites I built are still alive and going strong (wow did I love big rounded buttons or what?).

The top five reasons why you should learn how to build in WordPress:

1. Do nothing, and you’ll still have a great website
WordPress comes out of the box with arguably, one of the best content management systems in the world (thank you open source & the power of hundreds of people working together on one web application). Now, there is still a learning curve and some people do complain that the WordPress backend is a little too complicated, but honestly, as someone who has done a lot of work with other systems (and seen what it looks like when you try to building something as robust as WordPress from scratch), they really have worked out a lot of the kinks!

2. Chances are, someone else has already solved any problem you run into
One of the best parts of WordPress is that you have access to a HUGE library of open source WordPress plugins that will allow you to customize the CMS in all manner of ways. If you find yourself wanting to add some functionality to your site that isn’t native to the platform (a slideshow, a contact form, a facebook login) chances are someone else has wanted to add that functionality and already done the hard work for you. And all you have to do is install the plugin!

3. When you are lost, WordPress has the best docs
The WordPress Codex is seriously the most amazing, wonderful, searchable group of docs every created for any open source project ever. Anyone who has worked with other open source web applications or content management systems (*cough* Drupal *cough*) can tell you that the WordPress documents are spectacularly thorough, clear, and easy to use. If this is your first experience, know you are being seriously SPOILED.

4. Did we mention the 5 minute install?
Oh, by the way, WordPress is incredibly easy to install on your local machine (let me introduce you to my friend WAMP and MAMP and the famous, 5 minute WordPress install), and is supported by practically every web hosting service in the world. In fact, major web hosts like GoDaddy and HostGator offer fancy things like “1-click” WordPress installation services that will have you up and running in a matter of seconds.

5. And most importantly, knowing how to hack WordPress is known to lead to some serious CA$H
Last, but not least, knowing how to customize WordPress is a seriously marketable tech skill. There are many many freelancers and companies that have built entire careers on hacking WordPress. Just ask our friend Zoe!

Have I convinced you that WordPress is awesome? Fantastic! Watch out for a post next week about advanced WordPress techniques.

When I launched my blog in 2012, I went about it like this: I Googled “WordPress blog,” clicked a button that said, “get a free blog,” and I started rolling.

A year later, I realized I should have done more research. I wanted to change my site layout and add functions (like a hovering Pinterest button), and I realized (oh nooos!) I needed a “WordPress.org blog” for that.

Getting a “WordPress.org blog,” it turns out, really means downloading the free, open-source WordPress web software and using a third-party hosting service (like GoDaddy or Bluehost) to get your site online.

WordPress.com, on the other hand, takes care of all that legwork for you. You don’t worry about hosting or serving up files, and your blog comes with a free domain that looks something like this: www.mynewblog.wordpress.com.

But when you hand over responsibility, you also lose control: your WordPress.com site will show ads unless you pay a yearly fee, and many upgrades, like hosting videos or buying a custom domain name for example, can get costly.

To add to the new-blogger confusion, when you’re working on your blog, the Dashboard (the place where you edit your blog from the back end) looks almost exactly the same no matter which avenue you take. Because WordPress.com runs on the same WordPress software as a self-hosted site, the user experience after setting up your blog isn’t that different.

Deciding between starting a free WordPress.com blog and self-hosted WordPress site is as simple as deciding how much freedom you want over your site’s look and feel, how much behind-the-scenes work you’re willing to do, and whether you want to monetize your blog.

1. How much control do you want over your site’s look and feel?

If you’re okay with an “out of the box” theme [http://theme.wordpress.com/], WordPress.com might work for you. For an extra charge, you can customize some features, like fonts and background colors. Overall, though, you are limited when it comes to changing the design of your site.

If you’re looking at those themes and thinking, “but I want my Instagram feed up higher and I’d like social media buttons above the top navigation,” you’ll want to go with a self-hosted WordPress blog so you can access your site’s layout and HTML.

2. What extra functionality do you want on your site?

Remember that anecdote about the Pinterest hover button I wanted? WordPress.com is always updating and adding new features, but you will have more control on a self-hosted site. Through WordPress.org, you’ll have access to libraries of plugins [https://wordpress.org/plugins/] that can add features like interactive calendars, social media sharing options, and RSS feeds–not to mention, Google Analytics–to your site. And by accessing your site’s code, your opportunities to add to and embellish features are unlimited.

3. Do you want to monetize your site?

“Oh wow, I have so many pageviews! Maybe I can make a little cash with ads!” Nope. Not if you’re on a WordPress.com site. They’re giving you a lot for free; it’s no surprise that you can only sell ads in WordPress-approved ways. On a self-hosted site, however, the world is your oyster…or, you know, your sales floor.

In addition, while, WordPress.com recently introduced new ways to sell on your site, eCommerce is more established and flexible with a self-hosted site.

4. How much can you spend?

Self-hosting is an upfront cost that ranges from a few dollars a month to closer to hundreds per year. But using a free WordPress.com blog and adding a lot of additional features can get pricey. Infographic cost comparison:http://howtomakemyblog.com/wordpress-com-org/

When it comes down to it, WordPress.com is a valuable tool for users looking for a free option, who don’t need to customize or make money off of their site. But getting a self-hosted site through WordPress.org provides the most flexibility, freedom, and opportunity for growth. And let’s face it, you’re going to want to use this site to become a moneybags, and WordPress.org allows more freedom for turning your hard work into cold hard cash.

Looking for a new job where you can put your tech know-how to work? Having digital skills opens up a world of career choices for you. Take a look at some of the latest and greatest jobs we’ve found that’ll let you flex your digital muscles.

Today, we’re featuring jobs that require WordPress skills – and learn more by signing up to watch our webinar on Friday, August 1st: 3 Ways to Make WordPress Bullet-Proof!

Position: Designer, Marketing & Communications, Interactive Design
Company: Boston University
Location: Boston, MA
Start as a member of BU’s integrated design team. Take the lead on creating and improving websites through outstanding design. Manage, build, and grow Boston University’s nationally recognized and award-winning online magazine, Bostonia. Coordinate successful issue launches, liase between the magazine editor and the design team, and play a key role in enhancing the content management system (a customized installation of WordPress). Plus, participate in the design and front-end development of other WordPress-powered websites and editorial channels across the university.

Position: Graphic Designer / Project Manager
Company: Community Blueprint
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Create campaigns for governmental and nonprofit organizations focus on public health behavior change in this multi-faceted opportunity. A little experience with print and web design, project management skills, and an understanding of WordPress sets you up for success in this role. Your time will be split managing multiple projects and doing design for some or them.

Position: Web Designer
Company: Global Bioethics Initiative
Location: New York, NY
Jump right in to help create and launch a new website for the Global Bioethics Initiative, focused on serving as an educational resource and a database for breaking news and research in the fields of organ trafficking and organ transplantation. The site will be made – ideally – using WordPress. Take your Skillcrush skills and create a beautiful, user-friendly, and content-centered site to cover organs, tissues, cells donation, and biotechnology policy trafficking stories.

Position: Content Marketing Manager
Company: InfoScout
Location: San Francisco, CA
Put your marketing chops to work at this content marketing company, InfoScout. The current blog, InfoScout.co, is only scratching the surface of what can be done with the company’s data – so you will report directly to the CEO in this amazing opportunity to take the content to the next level. Bring your go-getter attitude to optimizing content, managing the WordPress blog, and growing the InfoScout newsletter base!