I think that everybody should study the basic aspects of programming languages for the Web and the development of the Internet. I do not think that one needs to become a professional programmer, but almost everybody uses the Internet on a daily basis. In most cases, people use the Web without realizing the way things function behind the sites and platforms they are using. Studying basic HTML and JavaScript allowed me to gain knowledge of what was happening behind those websites that I visit. This aspect is particularly significant nowadays, when a lot of content is produced through user-oriented platforms.
Before this class, I had some experience coding using languages such as R and some Python to analyze data. But I lacked experience in coding for the web. I worked through HTML and JavaScript tutorials available at HTML Dog for beginners. HTML taught me what structure a webpage has. I was introduced to the concepts of tags, elements, attributes, page title, head, and body.
For example, this is the basic structure of an HTML page that I learned about in the tutorial:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>My first web page</title>
</head>
<body>
This is my first web page
</body>
</html>This simple example gives me some insight into what actually happens behind the scenes on a web page. The <head> element has information about the web page, such as its name, and the <body> element has the content of the web page that can be seen when it is opened. Without any knowledge about HTML, all I could see was the finished web page without considering its code.
The JavaScript tutorial taught me another aspect of web programming. While HTML forms the structure of the webpage, JavaScript can make the webpage interactive. I was introduced to how JavaScript could be inserted into the HTML webpage via the use of <script>, as well as how variables can be used to hold information. This made me realize that the websites we use are coded with different languages.
However, the reading also got me thinking about the issue of control of the internet that I am using. The authors pose a question in their work, asking, “Or will we continue to allow profit-driven entities to shape the networked environment on which our digital future depends?” What struck my attention about this question was the fact that the internet that we perceive is controlled by large corporations who own different platforms where content can easily be created. However, the users are forced to use only those opportunities provided by the platform. Basic knowledge of web languages allows students to comprehend better what is happening behind these platforms.
After taking these tutorials, however, I do not believe that all students require proficiency in coding. But I do believe that it is essential to know the basics of the language of the web and its history. The most basic knowledge of HTML and JavaScript would help one understand the technology behind the scenes better. Coding on the web is not something which is beneficial only for those who want to become programmers.
I had a very similar experience while working through these tutorials. Previously, I had no understanding of the actual code that was making websites function the way that they do. It was an exciting experience to begin to understand the mechanics of the web. I also appreciate your distinction between the need to be proficient and the need to know the basics.
I share some of your past experience in coding (having learned a bit of python myself) and I agree with your position on why people should at least learn the basics of code. What scares me most is the idea that the general digital populous, users who spend a large portion of their time online, will entirely forget how to create sites and programs of their own beyond corporate control. I am interested in how to work in Javascript with HTML, and I appreciate your notes on the matter. I am curious though: more specifically how can variables be used to hold information? Is it a matter of directing who gets access to the information? What variables can be exemplified here?
I also came in with R and no web experience, and your head/body example clicked for me. The page has a hidden layer that the browser reads before it shows you anything. Your quote about “profit-driven entities” raises a question I’d like your take on. If students only understand what’s behind a platform, does that give them any power, or do they also need to build and host their own pages to get out from under corporate control?
I also thought it was interesting that websites are made using several different languages. I had always assumed that coders only used one language per project and could achieve all desired functions within that one language. After learning some basic functions, however, it does make more sense for there to be different languages used for different things. It was a lot less confusing than I was expecting it to be and very straight forward and formulaic.
I can see your points in how having internet and coding knowledge can be very helpful but not something to be required, especially after reading comments on my post. Thinking about how big corporations control many things behind the scene’s makes me consider the amount of user oriented content that relies on clicks and interactions as well. Overall I’d say i agree with your points, but since the little experience with python i gained from last year, and the Kotlin I’m learning this year, I can see how coding is an important skill people should consider learning.