Week 10

What were my goals from last week?

• Make all the images on the category pages the same size
• Add all stories and tips to the database

Where am I now?

Well, as usually both further and closer than I thought I would be. First, lets address failures, then chat about successes. Failures: I’ve written over twenty pages of Times New Roman 12pt font tip, facts, and stories for this project, and I’m not done yet. Do I have enough into call it good? Probably, but I’m not happy with it yet, so I think I’ll keep adding over break. The nice thing is that I can put the website up on my domain and keep adding to the database, since it updates live. At the moment, I have 8 stories (no more planned), 6 tips (with 4 more planned), and 5 facts (with 5 more planned). So, “get all the stories and tips in” was a bit of a stretch—I knew it was going to be, but I thought if I really put my head down, I’d be able to knock it out. Instead, I got distracted by things like… making my site mobile accessible, restructuring my database, and scrambling to get a lantern printed before coronavirus takes over the planet (aka campus closes, and I lose access to a laser cutter).

On to the positives! Most of them are listed above. I got distracted and made my site way more responsive! (the screenshot cut off the edges a bit—sorry about that.)

I also worked on the about page. I think it is important to describe what my goals for this project are, and that it is a living document that invites collaboration. It looks like this for the moment:

The accordion looks like this when expanded:

And the most significant of my side tracks is the lantern! I scheduled a laser appointment for Monday, but the laser master stood me up (probably my fault—I’m not sure what went wrong, but something did). As luck would have it, a friend and member of this same senior cohort who happens to be a laser master also happened to be the only other person in the building. He let me in and helped me set up, so the laser cut still happened! (I owe him a coffee or five once this social distancing thing is over.) There were troubles (when aren’t there?), but I’m not unhappy about how it turned out:

(and the QR code works! Hurrah!!!)

So even though I do have a few more additions for the database, I’m feeling like I’m in a pretty good spot going into break. I will have a lot of time to just pound out whatever things I need to add to the database (and maybe even collect a few more stories!).

Where do I want to be next week?

• Mobile version needs to look better. The menu hangs off the side, the images are a bit distorted, and the logo is cramped.
• About page needs a makeover. It is boring!
• Put it up on the web and make sure that everything goes smoothly in that transition. I can add to the database later, and it’ll change the site, but I need the site up.

Stretch: if I can manage it, I’d like to get some wood glue so the lantern stops falling apart (but that depends on how open the hardware store is, since that isn’t really an “essential function”). Also, as always, I’d like to collect, write, and edit more facts, stories, and tips and get them into the database.

As always, my code is available on my github. Stay safe and well!