Comments on: Take the Pedals Off Your Bicycle and Become a Better Web Developer

By: Moirakow

Moirakow — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:42:10 +0000

Good article and valuable comments too. It makes sense to stop and think througly what it takes to become an expert.

I ´m a graphic design / multimedia / web design -teacher, worked within media content production last 20 years. I´m a junior football (soccer) trainee too, got 3 children. An old fart so to speak.

Dispite your specilal skills, what ever their might be, your must able to communicate with the environment too. The skilled web designer for example have to master some level of knowledge in all trades included in his own expert area. I mean vocabulary, possibilities and restrictions, working flow, softwear and so on… This does not mean to be an expert of all trades though. How can he / she otherwise hire a PHP lizard if he / she does not have a clue about it.

Bicycle without pedals is great: We did it with our son when he was 2 and a half year. He mastered his bike in no time.

Small children are different than students / grown ups who are more able to concentrate and multitask, left aside and change the focus to continue again. They can master switching conceptual frameworks. For children, in their early years, even simple parallelism causes difficulties. Let say bicycling and telling a “story”, dribbling a ball and doing visuospatial perceptions at the same time.

By: Florian Purchess

Florian Purchess — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:07:02 +0000

Thanks for this “pathbreaking” article. Seems that most people always have the problem of beeing willing to learn on the one hand and to stay focused on the other. However, I appreciate times where I don’t learn, but apply the things and time where I just pick around in any theme for getting the bigger picture how things are onnected and could be compared.

By: Shahriat Hossain

Shahriat Hossain — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:22:05 +0000

From the starting of my graduation in 2004 I was confused what should I start to go walk with web development then I decided to learn HTML and after that started PHP though during that time I studied on .net also but was fixed to learn PHP in master level. Now I can realize I did the good work learning just specific one that is PHP ;)

By: Daniel Lucas

Daniel Lucas — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:57:46 +0000

This is great! I appreciate you writing this because I’m a budding web developer and am almost done with college. I’m not very satisfied with my experience here at college so I took on myself to teach myself web design. I totally agree to focus on only a few areas and become expert in them. You have just given me quite a bit more motivation and inspiration to focus on a narrower line of web development. I’m not going to try and learn everything. Thanks a bunch.

By: michael soriano

michael soriano — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:49:18 +0000

strong words of thought here. Often i struggle to learn more than two things at once – later on realizing that I should focus on one thing only, master that and then move on.

thank you for the post.

By: Andrew Gerber

Andrew Gerber — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:41:31 +0000

Reading this article carefully I would like to argue with the author. It is impossible for a person to be a good web developer and be able to do all stages by him/herself. In order to be a good web developer you should have strong skills in web design, HTML, CSS coding and PHP at least. All these actions require a lot of time.

By: Angela

Angela — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:06:52 +0000

You have some strong points in there for every web designer to take note and I’m one of them.

By: Mike Wilkes

Mike Wilkes — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:22:32 +0000

The bicycle idea is extensively used in Europe. Was in Skiis and Biikes (as you’re a fellow Torontonian), and the salesman was showing my 3 year old son (and obviously me) the bike. It was built without pedals, and low to the ground.

I’m using a scooter for learning balance, but the lesson is the same. It’s great to learn where you know you have a safety net if you don’t quite get it right.

By: Pam

Pam — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:30 +0000

I think you have hit on a very important concept that many have forgotten. Similar to the old saying “Jack of all trades, Master of none.” This is certainly not something any of us want to labeled with.

When a client comes to us, I always mention our strengths. If we are not strong in an area, we tell them this directly and explain WHY we have focused where we have. We never jump to try and work in a new area but LOVE expanding our current strengths with new challenges. Almost always, the client is much happier to have both the honesty, and the knowledge that they are working with a specialized professional.

I think one important point made (although possibly hidden) in your article is not to ignore that other methods and skills exist. Yes, focus and become an expert before you expand, but keep you ear to the ground on new options and how they can accent and improve your now expert areas. Then still keep it to one or two hats. You, your results, and your clients will thank you :)

Pam

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