[wp-hackers] Developer Portal

Fri Dec 18 18:05:11 UTC 2009

On Fri, Dec 18, 2009 at 8:24 AM, Jacob Santos <wordpress at santosj.name>wrote:

> To be a master I expect would take a long time and is a really long list.
> What you are looking at isn't just WordPress, but a general set of skills
> related to computer systems management, server management, protocol, and
> probably most important of all is experience.
>

Yes.  Exactly.  I realized within minutes of researching Wordpress a couple
of years ago that it was not going to be the easiest CMS to master.  I
choose WP because it is clearly very powerful.  Matt's question was about
what resources would a developer just getting started with Wordpress most
benefit  My answer is a clearly defined list of minimum skill levels
necessary to accomplish a task.

 For example, just getting started with self hosting one needs to at least
understand a certain amount about servers, ftp, installing and setting up a
database, maybe even something about file permissions.  I'm sure I'm
forgetting stuff.  It's easy to forget steps to a process you've done so
many times that it's become second nature.  That's the point.  And I know
that the skills necessary to self host are already fairly well documented
and easy to find.  I was just using it as an example because it is well
documented and easy to find.  That easy to find and well documented piece of
the puzzle probably keeps a lot of people from jumping onto a list like this
one and asking a question like "I've downloaded a copy of WordPress from
Wordpress.org, now what do I do?"

>
> I would say the number one asset to becoming a master is the willingness to
> learn, experiment, fail, and spend the time needed to succeed.
>

I totally agree.

>
> What I'm trying to say, is that if you wish to be a master of WordPress,
> you need to dive into other computer related subjects. I'm not saying you
> need to be able to build from the ground up a computer, it may clear a few
> things up, but generally doesn't help with working with WordPress.
>

Again, I totally agree.  I do know how to build a computer from all the
various parts and pieces and you are right, knowing how to do that does
nothing to help me with Wordpress.

>
> I will also say that if you wish to be a master in WordPress or even a
> WordPress developer, then I think you are doing it wrong. Being the master
> of one makes you a specialist and while that is fine in and of itself, it is
> extremely limiting.
>

Agree again.  I only focused on WP because Matt's question was about a
Developer Portal for WP.

>
> Jacob Santos
>
>
> Nice to meet you, Jacob

>
> Rhonda Johnson wrote:
>
>> What are the skills this potential future WordPress developer can begin to
>>>
>>>
>>>> develop?  (I’m not a 14-year-old high school student, I just believe
>>>> that
>>>> targeting the list of prerequisites towards a computer
>>>> savvy 14-year-old budding future WordPress developer is more likely to
>>>> inspiring a complete list of prerequisite skills than asking you to
>>>>
>>>>
>>> target
>>>
>>>
>>>> the list to people who are already skilled developers.)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I, on the other hand, am 16, and I've been working with WordPress since
>>> I was 14. I had fairly good knowledge of PHP at that point, and I
>>> basically learnt by diving into existing plugins, themes, and into the
>>> core itself. I found it wasn't too hard.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> OMG, I guess my target audience example really backfired on me.  I should
>> have realized that there would be a 16 year old hacker here who cut his
>> baby
>> teeth on PHP.
>> But you are right, Ryan, it's not that hard.  That is more or less my
>> point.
>>  I don't really need, want or expect the WP community to hold my hand and
>> teach me everything I need to know but a nice list of tasks to master to
>> be
>> able to accomplish certain goals, now that's what I really need.
>>
>> You know what's ironic, Ryan?  I've been using computers since long before
>> you were born.  One of my very first real jobs was setting up a data base
>> for a crap load of data that had been collected over a very long period of
>> time about a wide variety of subjects.  My training consisted of being
>> handed a list of commands, several typed pages of commands.  Maybe one
>> line
>> of text explaining what each command meant.  This was long before Windows
>> and it was pre relational db when I first started.  I was able to figure
>> it
>> out much faster and easier than I am getting WordPress.  But I will
>> get WordPress.  I am getting WordPress.
>>
>> My goal is not necessarily to become a developer, I want to be a competent
>> publisher.  I am attracted to WordPress because it is a Data Management
>> System.  I know y'all call it a CMS but from my POV it's a DMS.  My goal
>> is
>> to master WordPress to the point where I can competently publish and
>> manage
>> data on the internet.  Furthermore I want to be able to ask intelligent
>> questions and I want to have enough background information to understand
>> the
>> answers.  I just need sort of a map to follow to learn all the different
>> parts and pieces of information I need to know to accomplish my goals.
>>
>> Nice meeting you Ryan.
>>
>>
>>
>>> --
>>> Ryan McCue
>>> <http://ryanmccue.info/>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> wp-hackers mailing list
>>> wp-hackers at lists.automattic.com
>>> http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
> _______________________________________________
> wp-hackers mailing list
> wp-hackers at lists.automattic.com
> http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
>

-- 
http://everything-south-padre-island.com