Getting Started

Read the Bible

Read JavaScript: The Good Parts.  When you're done, read it again.  You've probably read it before, so read it one more time.  Things that made your eyes gloss over the first couple times will be much easier to understand this time.  It's not that I'm a huge Crockford fan, but this is the Javascript book.  You may have discovered the same patterns on your own, but it will reflect negatively on you if you call memoization "method result caching" or some other weird phrase you coined.

It's easy to get submerged in whatever frameworks you've been working in and forget about the nuts and bolts.  Since we want to jump into the cutting edge of Javascript awesomeness, we'd better brush up on the mechanics.  Simply being able to drive does not make you capable of building a better car.

I got the book from Google and have started reading it a few pages at a time on my phone.  Instead of compulsively checking email in the elevator to impress the other people doing the same, I'll just read a page.  I may also revisit JavaScript Design Patterns, though I remember it being a little too verbose and covering much of the same content.

Leave Windows

The best way to learn Spanish is to wake up somewhere in Mexico, right?  So, I'm assuming the same goes for Linux.  Learning *nix has been on my to-do list for a decade, but it never seemed very urgent.  Nuts to that.  I spent a couple hours backing things up, then switched my computers to Ubuntu.  After the initial shock - Oh, god.  What are the shortcut keys?! - the difference isn't severe.  A small piece at a time, I'm learning about the environment, terminal especially.  The great thing about JS is it's interpreted; all we need is a text editor.  As a bonus, all the cool stuff we're going to be doing assumes that you're on Linux or OSX.  Steps in tutorials for Windows users are rare and a huge headache.

When I need to figure something out, I look up how to do it.  Eventually, I'm too lazy to keep Google-ing the same thing, so I just remember it.  Remember, once, sometime in ancient history, you didn't know Windows either.

Get Social

It is assumed that you have a Github account.  You should, and you should commit every day.  I haven't run in months, but I've committed (pun allowed, not intended) to show activity on Github every day.  I'm making it part of my routine.  I started just storing my own work, but now I'm starting to become interested in others'.  Star projects you're into and look at pull requests.  It's nice to see what other people are writing, and the more exposure the better.  Eventually, I'm going to look for some low-hanging fruit and take a stab at a pull request.  I'm sure there's a typo out there I can fix for starters.  Once I've been through that process, I'll aim bigger.

In addition to Github, I've started taking the time to become active on Stackoverflow.  This is like trivia and can be a good break from constant cramming.  Corny, yes, but it also makes me feel kind of nice to help lost noobs, since I have benefited from SO many, many times.

Most employers now research potential hires online, so it can't hurt to increase your presence on these major sites.  As a side-effect, some of the culture, language, customs, and technology is bound to rub off.  Unless you want people judging you based solely on Facebook, get on Github and Stackoverflow.  For me, these two are Facebook.

Assimilation Complete

We are now reading, computing, and social networking like ducks.  Let's start learning how to swim.

---

Appologies to GN's: I realize changing from talking about myself, us, you, then us, the x repeatedly is terrible.  I am embarrassed to a degree, but this is basically a journal.  If I take on the burden of proper editing and good writing, this blog will quickly become a chore and will die.