SuSa
Banned via Administration
Link to original post: [drupal=3765]Inspiration for your life goals[/drupal]
This is a relatively lengthy blog. It's a look back at what has influenced my life decisions and currently only covers the job I have been chasing since I was 12.
It was originally posted on another site, so there is some reference to things you may not get. But for the most part it's self explanatory.
Ever since I was 12 I have been intrigued by the internet. My life here has been relatively short, but there was always so much to explore. So much to learn. At the time I wrote stories. Day in and day out, I would be writing. I searched for a community to share these writings with, and one day made myself home on the forum Future Writers. There I made many friends, had my work critiqued, critiqued the work of others, and improved my writing style and grasp of basic literature. Two years later however, a dispute between the admins as to the future of the site led to the site being shut down.
Having missed the community, and not having money - I looked into free forum providers. I stumbled upon iPBFree (which was forcefully removed from the internet this year, shrouded in mystery as to why). I signed up and created my own forum about writing, Writers of Tomorrow (WoT). I had the contact information of most of the community from Future Writers and so I emailed them all, I contacted some on MSN and others on AIM. I even downloaded YIM to message those few. I invited them all and within a week or two a community of 60 odd people was thriving on WoT.
This is what led me, as an Admin, to have to make a few decisions. This was 3 years ago, and was my first decision into the career of my future. At this time very few skins and codes existed for iPBFree. It wasn't extremely customizable and we had few providing resources. Those who were providing resources were: Person, CCJ, Streek Dime, and Gunblaza. Person was a skinner, CCJ was a talented graphic designer, Streek Dime was a master of Javascript, and Gunblaza was a master of programming (and Javascript).
These people were some of my closest friends I've ever had on the internet. Between these four people 90% of all resources for iPBFree were being created. Having WoT look like a pile of garbage, I first worried about customizing the skin. I spent many days speaking with Person - whom had me learn the basics of HTML and CSS and how to code and alter the stylesheets for iPBFree. I was horrible back then and had no idea about color theory, or how to get more advanced effects using CSS - so the products I dished out were worse than Gorgeous. However he slowly helped me improve and I quickly hit a block in personalization of my site...
I wanted custom graphics to make WoT stand out. After learning the basics of HTML and CSS (I never did become a master...) I abandoned the project of learning them beyond the basics. I joined CCJ's forum Final Chaos and quickly became a regular there. My stepdad had a copy of Photoshop 7 which I learned about and asked him to install. From here I followed many tutorials, experimented with as many things as possible, and delved into the world of creating signatures and computer graphics. I improved at an alarming rate and I was learning something new every day. I studied color theory and proportion for a while during this time.
Eventually I came onto a point that I could create custom graphics that I was happy with - and those I could use for my forum skins. So I created a few skins, not overly amazing - but far superior to the ones I used to dish out, and installed them onto WoT. I made a bright skin, a medium skin, and a dark skin. Needless to say everyone was happy. At this time WoT had expanded to nearly 700 daily members of 4300~ registered. I had 2 Co-Admins and an entire moderation team set up.
The amount of members we had visit on a daily basis was shocking - but many were complaining about a lack of certain features to make their forum experience a better place. In this time iPBFree had been being run by Vipul for roughly 2 years now, and Streek Dime and Gunblaza were still going strong with their codes. Vipul had also recently done a huge overhaul for iPBFree and we were finally able to install features like a shoutbox amongst other things.
Once I installed the most popular options, the site had lagged a bit from all of the Javascript. I had to remove certain scripts and everything was a mess. Our users wanted a better way to run the Short Story of the Month among other contests. So once again, I turned to Streek and Gun. I brought forward the idea of creating a page on the forums using Javascript. Both of them turned towards eachother and nodded. Or so that's what I like to think, one week later they had dished out Unique Page Code v1 and I had it up and running on my site. I was amazed at what they were able to do with Javascript - and found myself wanting many functions but not know how to go about doing them.
Well first, let me explain... WoT had reached it's limit and I had grown out of my days of writing. The forum was being ran by the moderation team and I entrusted my Co-Admins with the site. I stopped updating it on a monthly basis, and it was finally starting to die down. Moderation was crumbling and it was turning into a focused version of Quizilla. Sadly, I didn't really care. I had created my own resource board for skins/personalized graphics along with a forum for graphics because Final Chaos had died.
These boards required different codes, and had room left to spare as far as loading time went. So I turned to Streek, because Gunny was always busy, as my mentor for Javascript and my introduction into scripting. He linked me to w3schools and off I went. Studying day in and day out for a few good weeks. Writing some basic codes, and created my first SOTW code using variables and some basic HTML. Needless to say, I was proud of myself even though my knowledge didn't allow me to do much more past changing elements or adding HTML based on a few if statements. However I was over-ambitious and really intrigued by learning more about coding. I knew HTML and CSS, I had begun Javascript - and after a bit of browsing I decided to jump into PHP.
Well, PHP lasted a total of 5 days for me. I just couldn't grasp it back then. I also didn't have any hosting and no practical means to play around with databases and stuff. I got bored and quit. From here on, I've stayed away from learning much about coding. Although I did touch into Ruby and C++ for a few months between here (15 years of age) and now.
Also between this time, I ran a short-lived freelance site "Kanzen Designs". I only ever received 3 customers which payed for my domain and web space I managed to get my mom to buy me (on "rent". I'd pay her back if I made sales) - these sales totaled up to about $540~ so I easily payed her back and kept the site open in hopes of more sales. Nearly 8 months later, nothing. My 1 year domain and hosting were abandoned and I didn't bother to renew them.
From that point on however, I've always considered myself a graphic designer. It was my field of interest. I loved designing websites - and I even enjoyed coding them out. It's what I've inspired to be in life and something I've been chasing. Coming this January I'm getting a job at ScorpionDesign. Starting wage? $14/hr + profit of any templates I create that are used. So for $14/hr coding basic HTML and CSS, and if I walk in with a site template and people buy it. I get profit from that as well. So for me, this is the start of doing this sort of work "seriously" for a successful company.
However, some recent research into my future and checking out my college options has shown me some interesting facts. Web developers make more than web designers, on average. They also have more business opportunities. I think this comical (but informative) chart shows how big that difference is:
http://www.landingpages.co.il/wix/web-designers-vs-developers.png
Thus I have decided to abandon web design as a career option - and it will only be a hobby. Something I do time from time because it's something I love to do. I'm going to be picking up PHP in Jan (when I get my own laptop) and start giving it some actual thought.
PS for those that are curious, these are the colleges I looked into:
ITT Tech
FIDM
The Art Institutes
The Academy of the Arts
One more that I forget (yep. Go me! :D)
I was leaning on the top 3 because I wanted to go into graphic/web design.. but ITT Tech's looking like my best option now.
This is a relatively lengthy blog. It's a look back at what has influenced my life decisions and currently only covers the job I have been chasing since I was 12.
It was originally posted on another site, so there is some reference to things you may not get. But for the most part it's self explanatory.
Ever since I was 12 I have been intrigued by the internet. My life here has been relatively short, but there was always so much to explore. So much to learn. At the time I wrote stories. Day in and day out, I would be writing. I searched for a community to share these writings with, and one day made myself home on the forum Future Writers. There I made many friends, had my work critiqued, critiqued the work of others, and improved my writing style and grasp of basic literature. Two years later however, a dispute between the admins as to the future of the site led to the site being shut down.
Having missed the community, and not having money - I looked into free forum providers. I stumbled upon iPBFree (which was forcefully removed from the internet this year, shrouded in mystery as to why). I signed up and created my own forum about writing, Writers of Tomorrow (WoT). I had the contact information of most of the community from Future Writers and so I emailed them all, I contacted some on MSN and others on AIM. I even downloaded YIM to message those few. I invited them all and within a week or two a community of 60 odd people was thriving on WoT.
This is what led me, as an Admin, to have to make a few decisions. This was 3 years ago, and was my first decision into the career of my future. At this time very few skins and codes existed for iPBFree. It wasn't extremely customizable and we had few providing resources. Those who were providing resources were: Person, CCJ, Streek Dime, and Gunblaza. Person was a skinner, CCJ was a talented graphic designer, Streek Dime was a master of Javascript, and Gunblaza was a master of programming (and Javascript).
These people were some of my closest friends I've ever had on the internet. Between these four people 90% of all resources for iPBFree were being created. Having WoT look like a pile of garbage, I first worried about customizing the skin. I spent many days speaking with Person - whom had me learn the basics of HTML and CSS and how to code and alter the stylesheets for iPBFree. I was horrible back then and had no idea about color theory, or how to get more advanced effects using CSS - so the products I dished out were worse than Gorgeous. However he slowly helped me improve and I quickly hit a block in personalization of my site...
I wanted custom graphics to make WoT stand out. After learning the basics of HTML and CSS (I never did become a master...) I abandoned the project of learning them beyond the basics. I joined CCJ's forum Final Chaos and quickly became a regular there. My stepdad had a copy of Photoshop 7 which I learned about and asked him to install. From here I followed many tutorials, experimented with as many things as possible, and delved into the world of creating signatures and computer graphics. I improved at an alarming rate and I was learning something new every day. I studied color theory and proportion for a while during this time.
Eventually I came onto a point that I could create custom graphics that I was happy with - and those I could use for my forum skins. So I created a few skins, not overly amazing - but far superior to the ones I used to dish out, and installed them onto WoT. I made a bright skin, a medium skin, and a dark skin. Needless to say everyone was happy. At this time WoT had expanded to nearly 700 daily members of 4300~ registered. I had 2 Co-Admins and an entire moderation team set up.
The amount of members we had visit on a daily basis was shocking - but many were complaining about a lack of certain features to make their forum experience a better place. In this time iPBFree had been being run by Vipul for roughly 2 years now, and Streek Dime and Gunblaza were still going strong with their codes. Vipul had also recently done a huge overhaul for iPBFree and we were finally able to install features like a shoutbox amongst other things.
Once I installed the most popular options, the site had lagged a bit from all of the Javascript. I had to remove certain scripts and everything was a mess. Our users wanted a better way to run the Short Story of the Month among other contests. So once again, I turned to Streek and Gun. I brought forward the idea of creating a page on the forums using Javascript. Both of them turned towards eachother and nodded. Or so that's what I like to think, one week later they had dished out Unique Page Code v1 and I had it up and running on my site. I was amazed at what they were able to do with Javascript - and found myself wanting many functions but not know how to go about doing them.
Well first, let me explain... WoT had reached it's limit and I had grown out of my days of writing. The forum was being ran by the moderation team and I entrusted my Co-Admins with the site. I stopped updating it on a monthly basis, and it was finally starting to die down. Moderation was crumbling and it was turning into a focused version of Quizilla. Sadly, I didn't really care. I had created my own resource board for skins/personalized graphics along with a forum for graphics because Final Chaos had died.
These boards required different codes, and had room left to spare as far as loading time went. So I turned to Streek, because Gunny was always busy, as my mentor for Javascript and my introduction into scripting. He linked me to w3schools and off I went. Studying day in and day out for a few good weeks. Writing some basic codes, and created my first SOTW code using variables and some basic HTML. Needless to say, I was proud of myself even though my knowledge didn't allow me to do much more past changing elements or adding HTML based on a few if statements. However I was over-ambitious and really intrigued by learning more about coding. I knew HTML and CSS, I had begun Javascript - and after a bit of browsing I decided to jump into PHP.
Well, PHP lasted a total of 5 days for me. I just couldn't grasp it back then. I also didn't have any hosting and no practical means to play around with databases and stuff. I got bored and quit. From here on, I've stayed away from learning much about coding. Although I did touch into Ruby and C++ for a few months between here (15 years of age) and now.
Also between this time, I ran a short-lived freelance site "Kanzen Designs". I only ever received 3 customers which payed for my domain and web space I managed to get my mom to buy me (on "rent". I'd pay her back if I made sales) - these sales totaled up to about $540~ so I easily payed her back and kept the site open in hopes of more sales. Nearly 8 months later, nothing. My 1 year domain and hosting were abandoned and I didn't bother to renew them.
From that point on however, I've always considered myself a graphic designer. It was my field of interest. I loved designing websites - and I even enjoyed coding them out. It's what I've inspired to be in life and something I've been chasing. Coming this January I'm getting a job at ScorpionDesign. Starting wage? $14/hr + profit of any templates I create that are used. So for $14/hr coding basic HTML and CSS, and if I walk in with a site template and people buy it. I get profit from that as well. So for me, this is the start of doing this sort of work "seriously" for a successful company.
However, some recent research into my future and checking out my college options has shown me some interesting facts. Web developers make more than web designers, on average. They also have more business opportunities. I think this comical (but informative) chart shows how big that difference is:
http://www.landingpages.co.il/wix/web-designers-vs-developers.png
Thus I have decided to abandon web design as a career option - and it will only be a hobby. Something I do time from time because it's something I love to do. I'm going to be picking up PHP in Jan (when I get my own laptop) and start giving it some actual thought.
PS for those that are curious, these are the colleges I looked into:
ITT Tech
FIDM
The Art Institutes
The Academy of the Arts
One more that I forget (yep. Go me! :D)
I was leaning on the top 3 because I wanted to go into graphic/web design.. but ITT Tech's looking like my best option now.