About Our Code

The Mission

I created Our Code for myself and others like me: underrepresented people in tech who are learning to code via a nontraditional path.   This blog functions with a simple mission: to promote greater access to the tech industry by helping those learning web design and programming.  My motto for this blog is “our code is one” because I think for newbs, coding should be at the center of what we do.

Our Code Is One

In addition to sharing my own personal adventures of becoming a better web developer,  I also want to use this blog as a resource library.  On the right hand column, you’ll find resources I’ve gathered by category.  Most of the resources I will write about and promote in this space will be either free or low-cost.  This includes MOOCs, E-books, tutorials, video series, blogs, and coding events.

Why Learn to Code?

Two-thirds of the 1.4 mil jobs projected to be available by 2020 in computer science will go unfilled by Americans.  When the U.S. workforce can not meet the growing demands of tech industries, companies outsource available jobs to talent overseas, thus stifling domestic economic growth.  Because the demand for designers, developers, engineers, data scientists, and other IT-related professionals continues to grow, these positions have easily become the most-sought after among students and workers wishing to switch career industries.

Learning to code for professional development is not just about cash flow and hustle.   Coding combines logic with creativity, enabling people to become producers of technology rather than mere consumers.

Why Target the “Underrepresented”?

To be underrepresented means to have insufficient representation in a given industry.  For example, women are largely underrepresented as employed computer programmers in the tech industry, and because I had this in mind when creating the blog, you’ll see that a majority of the posts are targeted or written by women.  I also realize that women are not the only underrepresented group within the tech industry, and overtime, I made adjustments to posts to reflect a more gender-neutral voice.  There are several underrepresented groups I keep in mind when I compose posts, such as non-Asian people of color, transitioning careerists, veterans, and low-income earners.  Even with the occasional targeted post, I think anyone can find something in this space to make use of.  Therefore, I now welcome all readers and share resources for anybody who may need them.

What do you mean by “Nontraditional”?

I define a nontraditional learner as someone who is obtaining their education outside of a traditional college setting.  There is a significant shift in how people are learning.  Like myself, some coders may have a college degree(s) but are learning how to code as a skills boost.  Outside college, more newbs are choosing subscription services, MOOCs, bootcamps, and meetups to kickstart their careers.  I think there are many paths to having a a great tech career, and I promote those on the blog.

The Bigger Picture

To be clear, this is a code-centered blog.  I’m focused on helping others learn, share, and grow.

Visit the Blog!

Now that you know what Our Code is about, visit the blog here!

4 thoughts on “About Our Code”

      • Angelos, you really inspired me. My name is Omar Jasseh, I live in The Gambia West Africa. I had a BSC degree in Computer Science in January 2014, and since I completed my studies I have been working for a GSM and Mobile Telecommunicatin company in my country. I see myself as an intermediate programmer. I want to take my coding skills to the next level. I need your advice on time management, coding practice and how can one work full-time and still take aside projects, read blogs, tutorials, books and practice coding at the same time

      • Hi Omar and welcome! Congrats on your work with GSM. I work full-time at 40-50 hours a week. I spend the majority of my free time coding, because I see my career being in frontend development. It’s important to first be honest about your studying habits. I’ve learned I more likely to finish projects if I work on them at night and early Saturday and Sunday mornings, so I stick to those times in my schedule for working on projects. I’ve also learned that I prefer books and project-based tutorials where a finished product is the reward, so when finding resources, I focus on that.

        Here is what I recommend for you:
        1. Find a plan a project that you would like to work on
        2. Decide if you have the time to head that project. If you don’t, browse GitHub to see who is working on similar projects that you can contribute to when you find the time.
        3. Layout your schedule. Be honest in how many hours you can devote to it.
        4. Decide which learning resources you get the most value from. For example, some people learn best taking a course. Others like to read about subjects. It’s up to you.
        5. Decide what do you need to learn to finish the project. You may want to choose a web development stack (MEAN, LAMP, RoR) and stick to that.
        6. Once you have a project and have decided which tools you want to use– start learning and get started building. You can use Github as your version control system, or just develop on your local machine. Deployment resources, such as Heroku, are also available to you.

        Hope this helps and good luck!

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