I really like learning C++ and for some reason something happened with my computer so that, whenever I downloaded and tried to use an IDE for C++, I got an error message - something about how the compiler couldn't be found. I know that the compiler is in my computer and I don't know why the IDE can't find it. I had no idea how to fix it, so after my last couple of attempts, I just gave up and thought that, until I get a new computer, I won't be able to learn and use C++.
But the other day I tried again and sure enough I got the error message. This time though, I thought, I'm going to have a go at fixing this. Something I've learnt in recent years is that, with a bit of technical knowledge, it's possible to do things by googling and following online tutorials and suggestions. You don't even need to understand what the problem is. Just google - "how to fix '[paste error message here]' ". So, I did that and found a YouTube video about how to deal with this problem, and I fixed it. Now I can learn C++ again.
Why do I like C++? I think I like it because it's difficult (which makes it interesting) but not too difficult. I've never liked Python that much because of how user-friendly it is. As many people say, it's kind of like you're writing instructions in English, and I don't like that. I already know English. I want to learn a computer language. I warmed up to it a bit when I learnt about some of the things you can do with it, but for enjoyment of learning, I prefer C++.
My learning of coding and IT is kind of like the early stages in the education system. Each year, you don't cover all new content. Instead, you spend most of the year going over what you learnt the year before and then you go just a bit further. I go through the same tutorial series over and over and each time I get a bit further and understand a bit better, and then I might move on to a new tutorial series that I haven't gone through before.
I'm gradually phasing into working on my own projects. I've done that to some extent by using HTML and CSS to create a static website for free using Git Hub Pages. I want to do something more creative with that - like create a website that is strange and interesting and tells some kind of story - a kind of multimedia experience. I like the idea of that but I don't know if it would be that interesting or enjoyable for people. One of the things that people like about books is their linearity. You start at the beginning and work your way through the story. There's a sense that you're being taken on a journey. I sometimes wish that websites had that kind of linearity, especially when I find one that's very interesting or entertaining or useful. I want to approach it systematically and cover everything but there's no guide for doing that. That makes it kind of shallow in a way. A story builds in richness - each new segment contributing to a fuller picture. But a website is just separate pieces of information linked to each other.
Actually, when you look at code, it has that linearity. The computer starts at line one and works its way down. You can't refer to a variable that is only mentioned further down the code. You have to let the computer know about the variable before you do anything with it.
Hyperlinks are obviously very important. They're the basis of the internet itself. But maybe we shouldn't see them as being central to the presentation of information. Yes, they facilitate the presentation of information but maybe storytelling is still the best way of actually presenting the information. Typewriting, word processing or paper and pen facilitate the writing of stories, but we know not to make the story hinge on those tools. So, maybe with websites and multimedia texts, we should be providing the reader with more structure and sign-posting - telling them how to work through the material presented. Ideally there should be both. You should be able to just move around and explore by clicking on the links, but also there should be a way of working through the content systematically if you want to.
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