Posts tagged with: Education
March 21, 2010
This week, the Knight Digital Media Center @ USC Annenberg is hosting a boot camp for local news and information projects funded via Knight Foundation’s Community Information Challenge. Representatives of several place-based foundations will be learning and brainstorming on how to launch and run local projects under this initiative.
KDMC will be liveblogging this event today through March 25. Here’s the liveblog, and also information on our live video stream of some bootcamp events…
WATCH LIVE VIDEO STREAM
We’ll live stream most of the conference. That includes these segments, and much of the rest of the program (times are Pacific):
Monday, March 22
For participants who cannot download/use MS Word or Xcel spreadsheet documents, they are available on Google docs. But PLEASE FIRST watch this short video tutorial to learn how to make your own copy of these documents, so other people have clean originals to work from.
Tuesday, March 23
Wednesday, March 24
By Amy Gahran, 03/21/10 at 7:12 am
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June 10, 2010
“I’ll just hire someone to handle all the technical stuff.” That’s a common refrain from many would-be news entrepreneurs. But according to Placeblogger founder Lisa Williams, outsourcing technology you don’t understand “leaves the door open to waste, fraud, and other avoidable pitfalls that can cripple your venture.”
The answer? Educate yourself about the basics of web technology, so you can handle some of it yourself or oursource wisely. Williams recommends a self-education plan that takes four hours per month over 12 months. (See part 1, covering months 1-3.)
In months 4-6, you’ll teach yourself the basics of UNIX file commands, web server software, and databases…
Month 4: UNIX file commands
What happens when your web site crashes? What if you can’t log in to your site through your browser like you normally do? You can talk to your web site at any layer of the stack (the layer cake of technologies that support your site, which you studied in month 3).
The most powerful and dangerous way of interacting with your web site is at the bottom (operating system, or OS) layer of the stack. At that level, you could delete your whole site if you wanted to. Or you could delete your whole site by accident. The only way you’ll learn how not to make deadly errors like that is to understand UNIX file commands. UNIX is the operating system that forms the foundation of most web sites
Knowing basic commands to restart your server—or to move, copy, or delete files on your web server—are invaluable when your site is not working.
This month, spend some time learning basic UNIX file commands. Then practice using them. You’ll use your computer’s command line interface to access your “sandbox” web hosting account (which you set up to practice using FTP in month 2).
Check with your web host to make sure shell access is enabled for your account. (It may be enabled by default—but if not, you can ask them to enable it for you.) Also, confirm with your web host the login information you’ll need to access your web server via your command interface.
Then use the UNIX SSH command to access your server. From there, experiment with using various UNIX file commands to create, move, and delete files. Simply enter each command and hit enter/return, and watch the results.
Month 5: Web server software
As mentioned in our discussion of the stack, every web site needs web server software that delivers web pages to a visitor’s browser when they type in URLs or click links that lead to your site. The most common web server software is APACHE (most web hosts use this).
Williams says, “The most important thing you’ll need to learn about web server software is how to restart it. That’s useful when your site is slow and you don’t know why.”
Increase your general knowledge by reading a tutorial about what web server software does and how it works, so you can understand what really happens when users click links on your site, or type in a URL to get to your site. Then continue with Devshed.com’s guide to getting started with APACHE.
Many web hosts offer CPanel as a default tool to access your web server. This is good for a start (and free, if your web host already offers it). However, Williams thinks Plesk software (not free) is more intuitive than Cpanel.
Month 6: Databases
If you run a web site based on any modern content management system, or a custom-built site where people are blogging or commenting or registering user accounts, you have a dynamic database-driven site. Most likely, it’s a MySQL database.
Says Williams: “A huge variety of things that can go wrong on a site are the database’s fault. It’s one of the most fragile components of your system. If a new feature is slow, the common reason is the query your site sends to the database is inefficient.”
This month, learn how to log into your site’s database, browse the tables for your site, and learn how to back up and restore your site. Resources: MySQL basics tutorial (and in pictures).
NEXT: Part 3: Modules/plugins, CSS, programming language...
By Amy Gahran, 06/10/10 at 5:36 pm
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June 24, 2010
This is the final part of Placeblogger founder Lisa Williams’ one-year plan to teach yourself crucial web technology in just a few hours a month. (See part 1, part 2, and part 3.)
The good news is: You’re now done with the geekiest parts. Maybe you discovered you enjoy the really geeky parts—in which case, explore and play with those technologies more.
In this final quarter, you’ll pull your new web technology knowledge together into a bigger picture of how your site will function as a system…
Month 10: Write a site plan
According to Williams, the biggest risk for your project is failing to write a site plan. “Without a site plan, you’ll only get the site that you want by accident. With a plan, you’ll get it on purpose,” she said.
Your site plan is a strategic document that should include these elements:
1. A short, compelling overview. This clearly explains to anyone who wants to work with you (developers, ad sales reps, community managers, etc.) why they want to work with your project and not something else.
2. Descriptions of 3-5 typical users. These character descriptions, sometimes called “personas,” describe as individuals the type of people who you believe will come to your site. Mention who they are (demographics, age, interests, concerns, constraints) and what they want from your site.
It might be helpful to include descriptions not just for your primary target communities, but also other likely user types who might land on your site by accident in large numbers—or who might be hoping that your site will offer them something different than what you intend to offer. Think about how you’ll manage their experience of (and interactions with) your site efficiently.
3. Wireframes. These are simple sketches of your site’s home page and its major landing pages. Wireframes also include examples of typical pages by content types, such as articles, videos, photo galleries, forums, interactive databases, etc. Think in terms of not just what visitors will see on your site, but what they will do there. Include navigation, buttons, and key interactive features (such as social media sharing buttons).
You can create wireframes with a pencil and paper. But there are also programs for building wireframes. (Comparison chart of wireframing tools)
If you want your site to work well for mobile users (and you should, since mobile users are fast outpacing computer users for internet access in the US), be sure to sketch out wireframes for your mobile experience too. Start with wireframes for a basic wireless application protocol (WAP) site that will display well on any phone, even over a low-bandwidth cell network connection. Then consider how your site might be optimized for web browsers on smartphones. (Don’t invest in building an app for the iPhone, Android, or other smartphone platform until you’re much further down the road and know more about what your users want.)
4. Comprehensive list of features for your site. Develop this list by looking at your wireframes. Writing down everything a user could click on that page, and ask “what happens if you click that?”
...That’s Williams’ site plan approach. There are others, such as this one from eHow. Also, Williams recommends reading Joel Spolsky’s guide to writing specifications—it’s meant for software projects, but much of it also applies to writing a good web site plan.
Month 11: Backup and recovery
At some point, disaster will strike your site. You need to know how to preserve your site (not just the content, but all the configurations of your content management system, your stylesheet, and more).
Many content management systems offer a backup plugin. Make sure you have one installed for your site, and that you activate it and configure it for regular backups.
But Williams cautions: “Do you know how much of your site it backs up? And if your site crashes, do you know how to restore from that backup? Is the backup stored on the same machine where your site lives?”
This month, spend four hours researching what your backup really does. Make sure it backs up all components of your site. Not just the database, but also the files, along with your installation of your CMS (including all plugins and modules you’ve added over time).
Write down a backup and recovery procedure. Says Williams, “This will be much more effective than your memory in your panic when your site dies.”
More about backing up a WordPress site or a Drupal site.
Month 12: UI patterns
Williams says, “You probably already know a lot more about UI patterns than you think you do. For instance, you know what a search bar is, and what tabs do.”
User interface (UI) patterns are the visual building blocks of any web page. They’re familiar because they look basically the same on many sites. Over time, web designers and entrepreneurs have developed different and innovative ways to present data and features to site visitors.
Are you presenting your site’s data and features in the best way, or just the first way that came to you? Williams recommends visiting UI pattern resource sites (good first stop: UI-Patterns.com) to see screenshots of these building blocks.
Says Williams: “It’s like a giants bin of Legos to build a web site.”
...This concludes Williams’ one-year self education plan for learning crucial web technology. Again, the point of understanding the technology that supports your site (even if you consider yourself mainly a journalist or publisher) is that this knowledge can help you build smarter, save money, avoid fraud and missteps, and fix or avoid site problems. It can keep you from making your business too dependent on people whose roles and abilities you don’t understand. And it can help you spot and act on new online opportunities.
By Amy Gahran, 06/24/10 at 1:37 pm
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