foxfirefey: Dreamwidth: social content with dimension. (dreamwidth)
foxfirefey ([personal profile] foxfirefey) wrote in [community profile] style_system2011-04-11 07:17 pm
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Style Class, Session #1: Class Intro

Welcome to the DW Styles Class! From the number of people answering the poll, this is going to be a fairly large class, even if a lot of you can't make it. Lurking is, of course, okay! I do want to encourage lurkers to ask questions if they have them, however--you don't have to stay out of sight.

This class is geared around learning by doing. The main project of the class is to create a style of your own! The lessons are tools to help you along the way, so the syllabus is subject to change if I feel we're going over a subject too fast and people need more time to adjust. At the end, I'll have treats for people who share layouts with others at [community profile] dreamwidthlayouts.

Your mentors are, in no particular order: [personal profile] afuna, [personal profile] ninetydegrees, [personal profile] liv, [personal profile] seleneheart, [personal profile] monarchist, [personal profile] exor674, and, well, me. Mentors are here to help me review lesson plans before they go live and help answer student questions--some are CSS only, others know S2. But! If you know the answer to another student's question, please feel free to help them. We all can work together to learn things.

This class is split up into three "tracks" for different experience levels and goals.

Simplified CSS
Designed for people who want an easier introduction in CSS. It involves making style changes to an existing layout with the base CSS included.
CSS only
Designed for people who want to make a layout from scratch based on existing layout HTML--you can do a lot with just CSS. People might need help with an S2 override or two in order to achieve the effect they really want, but overall the goal is to work with CSS.
S2/CSS
Designed for people who want to be experts in changing both the HTML and CSS of their layout, or building in interesting behaviors. S2 is a programming language and once you know it you'll have few limitations (no JS, some CSS cleaning) in making a style exactly the way you want.
Poll #6596 Original Student Desires and Experience Levels
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 151


My class track will be:

View Answers

Simplified CSS
20 (13.4%)

CSS only
17 (11.4%)

S2/CSS
94 (63.1%)

Observation only
18 (12.1%)

I'm interested in this class because:

View Answers

I want to customize my own style
114 (79.2%)

I want to make styles I can share with others
76 (52.8%)

I want to be able to help others with their styles
56 (38.9%)

It's a good way to learn skills I'm interested in, like HTML/CSS or basic programming concepts.
108 (75.0%)

If you have another interest in this class, what is it?

CSS Experience

View Answers

None or very little
47 (31.1%)

Beginner
51 (33.8%)

Experienced
44 (29.1%)

Advanced
9 (6.0%)

HTML Experience

View Answers

None or very little
13 (8.6%)

Beginner
51 (33.8%)

Experienced
69 (45.7%)

Advanced
18 (11.9%)

S2 experience:

View Answers

None or very little
107 (70.9%)

Beginner
35 (23.2%)

Experienced
7 (4.6%)

Advanced
2 (1.3%)

Browsers I use or have access to:

View Answers

Chrome
91 (60.3%)

Firefox 3.x
90 (59.6%)

Firefox 4.x
80 (53.0%)

IE6
10 (6.6%)

IE7
12 (7.9%)

IE8
40 (26.5%)

IE9
38 (25.2%)

Opera
54 (35.8%)

Safari
62 (41.1%)

Mobile browsers/devices
66 (43.7%)

Other
13 (8.6%)

My main browser is:

View Answers

Chrome
26 (17.2%)

Firefox 3.x
56 (37.1%)

Firefox 4.x
44 (29.1%)

IE6
0 (0.0%)

IE7
0 (0.0%)

IE8
1 (0.7%)

IE9
1 (0.7%)

Opera
9 (6.0%)

Safari
9 (6.0%)

Mobile browsers/devices
2 (1.3%)

Other
3 (2.0%)

If you answered "Other" for any of the browser questions, what browser(s)?

Alright students, as your first exercise I would like you to:

  • Say hi, and greet others! Also ask any questions you would like to know before Friday's class on "S2 Background and the Customization Wizard".
  • Fill out this poll--it will help me know who has what experience level, and the different reasons people are taking the course for.
  • Think about what you want your style to look like, if you'll be making a style for the course!

And now, I'm going through and checking to make sure that all people who answered the original interest poll and don't already subscribe get a reminder to watch this community (unless they have different methods of keeping track)! Hope to hear from you all!


Previous: Syllabus

[personal profile] scribblingage 2011-04-12 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi, I'm Scribbling and, uh, I don't think I've ever eaten a fish. I don't have a particular style in mind to make, but I thought this might be a great launchpad to get back into playing around with code and maybe start learning about programming.

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[personal profile] stephenie_n_lamaina - 2011-04-15 18:10 (UTC) - Expand
twtd: (Default)

[personal profile] twtd 2011-04-12 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi, I'm twtd. I know a little bit more CSS than I do HTML, but my knowledge of both has more holes than it does actual substance. I can usually poke around enough to change colors and fonts, but I don't know anything about how to structure anything or move things around. I'm really good at, "hey, that bit of code from that other layout looks like it'll do what I want to this layout... Oh, I broke it," and then three attempts later I manage to fix everything enough that it's doing what I want.
aine_silveria: (Default)

[personal profile] aine_silveria 2011-04-12 11:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Hello! I'm Aine! Thank you [personal profile] foxfirefey for doing the PM's. I'd probably have forgotten about it without it.

I'm fairly experienced in HTML, used to hand code things in highschool in notepad, but it's mostly due to past classes, so my knowledge may need some updating. CSS, I know a lot of the basic rules for, but a lot of the finer uses, such as using it as the main basis of a design, or some the other extensive uses it has, still eludes me. I know next to nothing about the S2 style system.

I hope this ends up being as much fun as it is enlightening.
fulminata: (drink - coffee shop)

[personal profile] fulminata 2011-04-13 12:05 am (UTC)(link)
OMG, you used to hand code in notepad too! ^5 I occasionally wrote out code by hand if I wasn't at a computer too.

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usagi_k1: by <lj site="livejournal.com" user="bigbigtruck"> Image from Wings of Honneamise  &copy; Bandai Visual (Default)

[personal profile] usagi_k1 2011-04-13 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
Hello. I'll probably be going over this class multiple times, as while my ultimate goal is the S2/CSS class, I only know enough HTML to get me in trouble. I'm also hoping my utter lack of graphics experience doesn't kill me.
instantramen: a woman with black hair and white skin pouring water from a kettle (just sit back and relax)

[personal profile] instantramen 2011-04-14 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
No worries! From what I've seen, graphics experience is handy but not required.
mergatrude: a skein, a ball and a swatch of home spun and dyed blue yarn (Default)

[personal profile] mergatrude 2011-04-13 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
Hi! I'm mergatrude. I deeply love my layout over at LJ and want to replicate it, so I'm looking to pick up enough CSS to do that.
afuna: Cat under a blanket. Text: "Cats are just little people with Fur and Fangs" (Default)

[personal profile] afuna 2011-04-13 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
Hi! I'm Afuna, and I'm pretty experienced with the the three. I've learned most of what I know by helping other people, and I'm much more interested in figuring out issues and tweaking details than in building stuff from scratch!

So excited by this class, you have no idea!

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mojitochica: (delicious mojito)

[personal profile] mojitochica 2011-04-13 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
Hi! I know nothing about S2 and only a little about CSS. The last programming class I had was COBOL close to 10 years ago. All the HTML I know I learned from lifting other people's code. I hope I will have the time to keep up with the class!
instantramen: pale woman with dark lips and eyebrows looking distantly pleasant (urine of the horsefly)

[personal profile] instantramen 2011-04-13 05:24 am (UTC)(link)
Hi everyone! I'm Ramen and my purpose here is two-fold: to attach a use to the code I learn so I have a reason to remember it, and to satisfy my insatiable need for variety.
onew: (Default)

[personal profile] onew 2011-04-13 06:01 am (UTC)(link)

Hi, everyone! I'm Reeza and I'm a professional web designer. HTML and CSS are my favorites among the roster of web languages, and recently I've been doing FBML (which is not that different from HTML, tbh, except for a few things). I'm really excited to know more about S2! Thank you so much for organizing this class :)

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sraun: portrait (Default)

[personal profile] sraun 2011-04-13 11:53 am (UTC)(link)
Hello! What do I want my style to look like? My inspiration is this ring - Inlaid Opal, Sugilite and Petiersite in white gold. So, blue and silver/light grey, and see what I can do for opalescent accents.

My main browser is likely to switch from Firefox 3.x to 4.x over the course of the class - at that time, I may loose my 3.x. I've got an Opera license from long ago, I may reinstall it for the class.

I'll probably try to monitor the S2 stuff, but don't want to commit to actually doing that.
turlough: large orange flowers in lush green grass ((mcr) falling hard)

[personal profile] turlough 2011-04-13 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi! I'm turlough and I've been dabbling in HTML and CSS for several years but my experience with S2 is pretty much limited to copying and pasting bits of code other people have made. On a good day I'm maybe even be able to figure out why the bit I've just pasted isn't working as I hoped it would and I've done some creative shuffling around of code bits, but it's all been trial-and-error. I don't really understand what I'm doing and in the long run that's very frustrating.

The first goal I have for this class is to be able to create a DW native version of my current ported-from-LJ-to-core1 style.
zvi: self-portrait: short, fat, black dyke in bunny slippers (Default)

[personal profile] zvi 2011-04-13 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm here because I told someone I'd convert there LJ style, and I need a kick in the pants to actually get it done.

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rainfall: A pair of cartoony arms encircle the words "A huge hug for you." (huge hug)

[personal profile] rainfall 2011-04-14 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
Yo! I'm Li, I've made lots of layouts before but always just CSS or with slightly modified S2 styles. /o/ Looking forward to learning more, especially for the strengthening of programming skills in general.
mmmag: A cotton cloud with drop shaped beads dangling below. (Default)

[personal profile] mmmag 2011-04-14 08:24 am (UTC)(link)
I'm really glad for this class! I'm interested in getting a more solid foundation in S2. What little I know I've learned from studying other layout layers and copying their behavior to my own layers and modifying the code for my needs. It'd be nice to have a better grasp of it all.

This may be the kick in the pants I need to go back to the styles I abandoned. Yay!

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[personal profile] linstock 2011-04-14 02:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi am Linstock and a total newbir...I still have to google terms like CSS to find out what they nmen. I am really interested to get some actual knowledge and have somewhere I can ask questions waen I get stuck. I find a lot of so called tutorials only make sence if you already know the material.
asenathwaite: a rat (claws)

[personal profile] asenathwaite 2011-04-14 06:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi! I've made color themes and mucked about with html a bit, but nothing really involved. I'm looking forward to learning more.
trixieleitz: sepia-toned drawing of a woman in Jazz Age costume, relaxing with a glass of wine. Text: Trixie (Default)

[personal profile] trixieleitz 2011-04-15 03:23 am (UTC)(link)
Hi, I'm Trixie! I've never been able to find a style that has all the features that I want in quite the right places. I've done a little basic copy-pasting of other people's CSS into a couple of styles to get things more how I like them, but that's only got me so far. It's time for me to go back a step and figure this out for myself!

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elysandra: (Default)

[personal profile] elysandra 2011-04-15 06:25 am (UTC)(link)
Hi there,

while I have some basic understanding of HTML and have looked into CSS as well a few times, I don't think I really have a working knowledge or anything. I also have no experience with S2 but am really curious about it (and don't like fiddling with something I have no idea of.) So I hope to use this course to get a better understanding and some (any^^) kind of confidence in my abilities. I'll just define myself as a beginner and go over the basics again as well and hope (we'll see how far I get) to get the drift of all three aspects.
poulpette: Tenth Doctor looking away (DW - Ten)

Late to the party

[personal profile] poulpette 2011-04-16 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
Hi, I'm poulpette. I hold a PhD in lurking. :D

I do not have a PhD in HTML and/or CSS but I can usually do what I nee with both. Once I have un-rusted my skills that is.

My only experience with S2 was copy-pasting a lovely comment function [personal profile] afuna and [livejournal.com profile] murklins cooked up for my journal. I could probably read a layer with a bit of work but that's about it.

I don't have a particular layout in mind to do during the class, but I might port my current LJ layout.
tifaching: (Default)

[personal profile] tifaching 2011-04-16 07:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi! Sorry I missed this when it first was posted! I have no experience in most of the categories posted, but I really want to have an interesting layout on my journal.

I can't wait to learn whatever you can teach me, and thank you!

[personal profile] feathertail 2011-04-17 09:42 am (UTC)(link)
Belated hi to everyone, from a tree swallow who just now managed the spoons to get to this class. >.>b I have no idea what kind of layout I want to make; I'm used to just copying other stuff and then tweaking it. Maybe I'll do that with a WordPress layout, like I did for [community profile] becomeyourfursona, and try to make it more professional-like.
chagrined: Marvel comics: zombie!Spider-Man, holding playing cards, saying "Brains?" (brains?)

[personal profile] chagrined 2011-04-18 05:53 am (UTC)(link)
Hi :)

I may not be around/commenting much because I am having a horrible month, but I will try to come back and catch up when I can. I am excited to learn more about S2 in particular.
ldybastet: (Default)

[personal profile] ldybastet 2011-04-26 11:51 am (UTC)(link)
Hi! I'm... late. ;) And I don't know if I'll actually have time to do these things as they're posted due to work, lack of spoons, and being away from computer etc, but I will go through the posts at my own pace.

I really, really would like to stop feeling like I'm helpless as soon as I am looking at my journal and think about somehow making it look different! So, I think this place is great! :D
chebe: (Default)

[personal profile] chebe 2011-04-28 08:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi! I'm late to the party, but don't worry about me, I'll catch up soon as I can.

Years back on LJ I took to crawling through the S2 docs (bookmarked they were), but didn't really get anywhere. And what I did learn I've forgotten! I'm a programmer, but more desktop than web, so will need to refresh everything :D Seems like fun to me!
aedifica: Silhouette of a girl sitting at a computer (Girl at computer)

[personal profile] aedifica 2011-04-29 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm lurking with a time delay. :-) I have no particular goals for this class other than to learn to do something new, and to have a clue about CSS. My HTML is decent, but it's all come from "hey, how can I do that neat thing? I know, I'll google to find out the html code for it!" and my CSS is (so far) nonexistent.

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