Web Development Advice Please

[eddy]

Hi all,

Just wondering if can pick a few peoples brains as I am sure we have a few web orientated people using this forum.

I am looking to further my knowledge of web design to make myself a little more marketable in the future. I already work full time so would be looking to do some kind of course out side of work.

Over the years (during my BSc and MSc) I’ve picked up bits of html and now feel that I would really help me in my current job and future positions if I had some accreditation to my name.

I've been looking at doing this Open University course. Work i think will pay for this as its not going to blow our training budget, which is pretty cool.

So my questions are:

1. Has anyone done an OU course? and what did you think?
2. Do web development people think this course sounds ok?
3. Can anyone offer any alternatives?

Little bit of a random thread for a diving website I know but lets see if it goes anywhere..hehehehe

Cheers

Eddy

[RonProwse]

To be honest you are better off getting either some Java books or some books on ASP.NET (C#) and going over them yourself slowly, I have done the same and now I work as a developer for a bank.

You already a good grounding so why bother spending years doing a course that you could learn yourself with just a few books and access to the net.

You can take certification in both these lines of development.

Good luck

[Woz]

Yep. I 2nd that. Sort yourself out a project to do and learn "on the job" as it were.

[Harlequin]

Mate

I've been designing sites for years and have no formal qualifications but hand code HTML, CSS, PPHP & MySQL (All self taught).

Courses...?

Bah humbug, save ya money

[eddy]

OK then the consensus is that i teach myself, that's fine i can hack that.

Which books should i take a look at then?

Eddy

[Tim Ingmire]

Hey Eddie,

Take a look at: W3Schools Online Web Tutorials

All free!

[Harlequin]

Eddie

Definately go with the self taught route, work to W3C standards and do not under ANY circumstances be drawn by the allure of Microsoft FrontPage or Macromedia's Dreamweaver.

Learn something dynamic such as ASP or VB.Net for database driven sites or better still use open source stuff like PHP & MySQL. Commercially, they don't pay as-well but from a freelancer's perspective you can get a site up and running in minutes and the support from the Open Source community puts MicroSuck in the shade.

I was told by a friend years ago to get into PHP and decided not to as I was already going down the MS route but then decided a few years ago to "look" at open source and haven't looked back.

Good luck and feel free to PM if you need any pointers.

[Jay]

Ok, self taught can be good but there are a few drawbacks:

1. There is no-one to correct your errors
2. You might not be learning a consistent approach to web development
3. You end up with no recognisable qualification

I'm starting the OU in October on an open degree where I will select my papers as I go along. My rational is that I already have a lot of knowledge that I can put towards my studies, I will get a formal qualification from it and as technology develops over the course of my studies, I can select the relevant papers at that time (e.g. AJAX and whatever comes next).

With the OU you move at your own pace so you can go faster if you feel capable of doing so.

Horses for courses but after 7 years of self teaching, I am now proficient at:

1. Linux installations / management
2. PHP coding
3. Database management
4. HTML
5. CSS
6. Javascript

There is much more that I need to learn.

Starting a project is a great way of developing skills though so setting up a website that you can develop as your skills progress will greatly improve your learning curve.

Good luck on whatever you choose

[Owenter]

Originally Posted by Harlequin

Mate

I've been designing sites for years and have no formal qualifications but hand code HTML, CSS, PPHP & MySQL (All self taught).

Courses...?

Bah humbug, save ya money

Wanna design my sites? Desperate to find someone, there aren't so many over here.

[eddy]

Owenter,

Can i recommend a guy who has done about 6 sites for my company (project sites)

His name is Andy Holt and his company is OSX Ltd

Just to give you a few examples of stuff he has done for me:

Urban Forestry
Neighbourhood GIS

Drop my name (David Edmends) into the converstation if you wouldnt mind as its good pr for me and my sites.

Eddy