

Code Your Own Holiday Card with Codecademy Code Cards - binarydreams
http://cards.codecademy.com/

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teddyknox
Weird because I couldn't figure out how to change the Javascript of a card.
Not to be that guy, but I don't really consider fiddling with HTML+CSS
"coding" as they call it. Other than that pretty cool.

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tomasien
I think if you write a code that the computer interprets and does something
with that code, that is by any definition "coding". I know there's often a
"code" vs. "design" distinction, but HTML/CSS are by their very definition
codes.

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nightpool
HTML/CSS are markup languages, not programming languages. One is a way of
defining what something _is_ , the other is a way of defining what something
_does_. Think Markdown vs. Python, for a more dramatic example.

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tomasien
I understand that, but they're written with code. Maybe I'm wrong but that
pretty clearly makes the writing of them "coding".

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codewright
You're taking a word too literally and conflating it with something it doesn't
mean.

HTML/CSS is not coding/programming.

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tomasien
I'm amenable to that argument, I can't find an alternate definition that
disputes my use of the word and there are dozens of uses of the word "coding"
to mean writing html/css, so I don't know what alternate definition I'm
supposed to be using.

~~~
codewright
Popular use doesn't define reality.

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aviswanathan
Does anyone have any stories about learning with Codecademy? I have a few
friends that are very interested in learning to program (mainly web dev stuff
- HTML/CSS/JS) and are looking to use Codecademy. I personally learned in high
school by ripping apart existing websites, inspecting tons of lines of code,
and trying to make things happen in the browser, so I don't know if Codecademy
is the right route. Thoughts? Does it help with fundamentals?

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tomasien
I learned everything I knew before I got a job as a programmer from
Codecademy. I've learned vastly more by actually doing things, but the basis I
needed to get started I learned fantastically with CA.

I think it's also gotten way better from when I first started using it. The
jQuery lessons are fantasticly useful, and the Python courses go way deeper
and are far more useful than the original Javascript courses I first did.

~~~
xiaoma
Now that's a pretty fantastic endorsement! At the time I went through their
stuff, none of it was remotely challenging for me and I was still getting
crushed in technical interviews. If you learned enough from their site to get
hired as a programmer, then they must have changed[1] a ton on the past few
months.

I guess the question is if I go through all their material, will that plus my
previous experience writing flash games and freelance webdesigning let me land
a coding job at an edu and/or gaming place!

[1]That probably explains the down-vote brigade that hit my other comment. I
don't think I've ever seen 3 downvotes for a lengthy, constructive comment
aimed at helping someone before.

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tomasien
If you did everything on Codecademy right now, it would take you a long time
(maybe 1-2 months to really understand it) but you'd be really well set up for
any entry level coding job.

But I'm entry-level, keep that in mind. I'm paid in large part to learn. I
deliver plenty of billable hours, but it's understood I have a long way to go.

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sunsu
Honest question: Isn't it bad that they put this under a subdomain? Google
won't credit your root domain for incoming links to a subdomain, will it?
Similar to why it's better for your blog to be at example.com/blog instead of
blog.example.com.

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digitalboss
In a recent Webmaster Help video, Google’s Matt Cutts reported that
adjustments to Google’s search algorithms have removed many of the advantages
given to sites organizing content using subdomains rather than a subdirectory.
More - [http://www.brafton.com/news/subdomains-vs-subdirectories-
for...](http://www.brafton.com/news/subdomains-vs-subdirectories-for-seo-no-
serp-benefits-for-subdomains-anymore)

Opinons on both sides for this question. SEOMOZ recommends folders - "Since
search engines keep different metrics for domains than they do subdomains, it
is recommended that webmasters place link worthy content like blogs in
subfolders rather than subdomains. (i.e. www.example.com/blog/ rather than
blog.example.com) The notable exception to this is language specific websites.
(i.e. en.example.com for english)"

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kellishaver
My 10yr old had a lot of fun with this:
<http://cards.codecademy.com/codecards/tzBPG/full>

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mblake
Like the idea, good marketing strategy too, but have a deep hatred for Lobster
font :(

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atomical
I clicked on this hoping for a ruby api.

