With new technology, new frameworks, new models, and new best practices coming at us every day, how can anyone become an expert in everything? This presentation talks about the danger of shiny new web methodologies and how to grow your expertise in a manageable way. Avoid yak shaving and solve real problems!
7. Just thinking of
spending the
weekend learning
to build Android
apps
Friday 16 March 12
8. It’s time I finally
figured out SASS,
once and for all.
Friday 16 March 12
9. Thinking I might try
working
Knockout.js into my
next project.
Friday 16 March 12
10. I might spend the
next day or two
transferring all of
my databases into
CouchDB. Just to
try it out.
Friday 16 March 12
11. Well, I know
nothing about
Backbone. It’s time
to become an
expert. Today.
Oh, but first I just need
to understand
Underscore.js. That
shouldn’t take long...
Friday 16 March 12
23. How to build
sustainable skills?
Friday 16 March 12
24. Lessons I’ve Learned
from teaching web dev:
• Know the difference between “taking a
look”, “learning”, and “mastering”
• Taking a look means understanding its
purpose
• Learning means knowing how to use it
• Mastering means being able to handle
it in complex situations
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28. STOP.
HOLD UP.
NO HAMMER TIME.
Friday 16 March 12
29. Ask yourself:
• What’s the deadline for this project?
• Do I have a spare day or two (or three or
four) to try this out during the project? (If
not why are you considering jeopardizing
the project’s deadline?)
• Is this specific to this project or will I use
this technology again in some or many
future projects?
Friday 16 March 12
30. Evaluate
• If the answers to the questions lead you to
believe a) there is time, b) it won’t add to
the client’s costs, and c) you can still
complete it on time, go for it.
• If not, all is not lost. Find a weekend or
evening where you can work on it on a
personal project. Do NOT just do how-to
tutorials! Have an actual project!
Friday 16 March 12
35. and the way it sometimes works when you
try working with old, broken tutorials and
discover the method you need has had a bug
filed on it for 8 months with no activity and
no one is answering you on IRC.
You wake up at 4pm on a Thursday
afternoon on the floor in your hallway after
working straight through since Monday, and
you realize you need to start from scratch
to finish by 5pm tomorrow.
Friday 16 March 12