Any interest in a DW styles making course?

[foxfirefey]

The class has started! Class syllabus and intro/registration.

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So, is there any interest from people for a DW styles making course, run in this community? Basically, a series of lessons/projects spread over weeks that works on teaching you the ropes one by one, designed for people of multiple experience levels, with the goal of everybody at the end having created their own native DW core2 layout and having a solid understanding of how the S2 system works.

You could do only CSS portions (since DW layouts are designed to be very flexible with just CSS), or tinker with the S2 parts, too. While we go along, we can help each other as a group with questions on how to do X or Y for our layout. Experienced CSS people or style makers, even if they're not taking the course, are encouraged to poke their heads in and assist students. I'd also like for at least one or two experienced style people to be my betas for lesson plans and dedicated mentors for the students. (And mentors can be students, too, if they want to work on their own layout projects alongside the class--I plan on doing all the lessons myself, making me a student as well!)

Poll #6433 Head count!

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 158

View Respondents

Would you want to participate in something like that?

View Answers

Yes, I want to be a student!
157 (99.4%)

Yes, I want to be a mentor!
7 (4.4%)

Comments

[marahmarie]

Awesome idea, can't wait to see it in action! I need to learn how to write DW's s2 bad. Really bad.

[chagrined]

I am interested but whether I could participate would depend on when it ends up happening.

[onyxlynx]

I like my style, but I've been looking at it for two years now, and I'm afraid to use the style template unless I can do it without affecting the current style until I get it right. :-) If you know what I mean...

[foxfirefey]

I do! Paid accounts can have a bunch of layers/styles in waiting, and you're a paid account, so I wouldn't worry about it.

[foxfirefey]

It won't be a really, really fast pace, and if you fall behind it's no biggie since the lessons will always be there--what would be bad times for you? I'm thinking of starting it up pretty soon.

[ninetydegrees]

I did that very same thing once but never finished the lessons because there were so many things to explain. I'm definitely interested, both in assisting and learning.

[foxfirefey]

Sweet! I totally think you'd be a really awesome beta for lesson plans--you know so much.

[foxfirefey]

Time for me to get writing!

[ninetydegrees]

And yet I don't feel like I do! But I'd be happy to help. :)

[foxfirefey]

Psh, you have patched the style system itself with fixes/improvements! That's pretty experienced.

[ninetydegrees]

Sure but there is stuff I don't understand (like the tags code) because I've never studied any of this so... Let's just say I tend to see glasses half empty rather than half full sometimes. :)

[poulpette]

I've been eyeing bug #3503 (http://bugs.dwscoalition.org/show_bug.cgi?id=3503) and this would be an extremely useful way to start working on that bug :D

Thank you for proposing this!

[foxfirefey]

Understandable! I'm certain I'll be learning a few things as I go along, too. You should totally ticky boxes, because the numbers going up delight me.

[lim]

Is it ok to just read along? I'd really like to read this but I can't/won't do formal lessons.

[foxfirefey]

Of course! Everything will be public and the lessons aren't all that formal--they are more like progressive focal points. You could get a lot out of it just by reading the lessons and seeing what other people are doing. Additionally, our styles documentation will improve as I move along.

The only real benefit from doing things along with everybody else is that there will be a bigger group all focusing on one topic at a time--but anybody can post questions to style_system at any time and get an answer, so that is not a big barrier. The other benefit is that the lessons will revolve around making a layout of your own, piece by piece, so at the end you'll have a completed layout to show for it. But if you're not doing a layout, I totally encourage you to read along, as well as ask any questions you may have on the topics that come up.

[lim]

OK cool! :)

[holyschist]

I would love to read along, but don't have time to participate in the near future.

[dragonfly]

I needed a ticky for "Yes, I want to be a lurker!"

[dreamatdrew]

ICON LOVE!!!!

[dragonfly]

Thanks! It was a gift from vanillafluffy, and I don't know where she got it.

[foxfirefey]

I realize the need for that option now, but alas I cannot add it!

[adalger]

Oddly enough, when I started the comm, it was because I had been mucking about in the internals of S2 and was slightly more knowledgeable than the average DW user of the time. Now I've lost the edge I had and have fallen way behind (read: off the map compared to) anyone actively using the style system. I would welcome the opportunity to bring my skills back up to a useful level, and might even be able to bump myself into handling the occasional support request again off that springboard. :)

Thanks, fox! You make my dreams of the utility of this community come true!

[turlough]

I've been wanting to make a native version of my layout ever since I moved to DW but I've yet to sit down and teach myself everything I need to know to do it so this sounds like exactly what I need.

[aedifica]

I'll tick the invisible "I want to be a lurker!" box too.

[majoline]

I've always wanted to learn how to make what I wanted happen style-wise! sign me up :)