The Best Free Resources For Learning Web Development

6th November 2022

The title says it all - my best free resources for learning to build a website. These four resources have been fundamental in assisting me with support and encouragement . They have helped me achieve something special which has opened a new world for me and given me a new love and a positive outlook for the future.

Yes, I know this sounds soppy and some outpouring of emotions for an acceptance speech from some Hollywood actor at an award ceremony.

In my journey I have used many resources and coding institutions as inspiration and learning tools which have all helped me reach my goal of using HTML and CSS to build a website and making it go live.

There have been more than I can remember and ever hope to name. They have ranged from a googled question which led to a quiet and knowledgeable developer and their website, to charismatic Youtubers and to large organisation and their supermarket of learning products. But there have been four main keystone resources, as I call them, which have been fundamental and important game changers for me.

At this present moment, I am bubbling with the drive and basic coding skills and if it wasn’t for these resources, I would not have progressed and I certainly would not have been able to accomplish my goal.

Before I name them and shower them with glory, I want to say that two are libraries of learning resources, one is a dream maker and one a positive and enjoyable inspiration. Most of all - all four are free.

html.com

I have to start with the first run of the ladder and the starting line. My first step into the world of HTML and CSS was in the last week of September 2021 and even though I only spent a matter of weeks on this website, it is the quiet and humble push that set me off on the journey where I never applied the brakes.

Much has happened since I first started studying and writing the first html.com < tags > in my notepad. There is no taking away the importance of this first stage. It was a gentle introduction into the world of HTML, CSS and programming.

It was a step that explained perfectly what I needed to know at the time without being too heavy and off-putting. A gentle introduction which led me to start and never stop on this learning journey. A place that got me hooked and gave me a small grasp of the gist as well as a sample of what these languages can do.

As a resource, it was the perfect place for me as an absolute beginner. Thank you html.com.

W3Schools

I have used W3Schools from almost the beginning of my journey and all the way from the start of my CSS learning. I have dabbled with other learning resources and I have had to scour the internet for some more advanced or alternate explanations of doing things but it has provided me with a huge chunk of my learning.

I mentioned early on in one of my daily blog entries - we are all different and that means we all learn in different ways and so we will all connect in different ways to available resources, finding some more to our liking and more useful than others.

W3Schools has always been a perfect fit for me. Even now, in my 11th month of learning, I still revert back to the website for help and inspiration.

I can’t tell you the reason why I got on so well with W3Schools or what it was about the site but I connected with it and it worked for me. All I can say is that I liked the style of the site, the layouts and explanations. These lessons were in steps which lead to a greater outcome at the end. I understood it better than I did other sites which I found difficult to understand at times.

This is not to say that one is better or worse than the other. I am just saying that they are different and W3Schools worked for me. I used many resources which helped me immensely and they were all important steps on the ladder to helping me. Without all these resources, I would not be where I am today.

But, overall, 90% of my first six months of CSS lessons and learning came from W3Schools and I can not thank them enough. This free online resource has changed me and given me new skills and a new outlook on life. For that, I say thank you W3Schools.

Netlify

Well, what can I say - The dream maker. I first heard about Netlify via a couple of sources probably around Xmas time 2021 in my learning calendar. This would be around month three and into month four of my journey.

I actually didn’t remember the name at first but just heard the words -"a free web hosting service for your blog or website." I couldn’t believe it at first- free hosting? It came at a time when I was beginning to put my skills together and I was edging closer to developing a site.

My first goal was to build a site or blog and make it go live. I had to jump on this and learn more. This was a serious opportunity and the rest is all history as they say.

I cannot thank Netlify enough for allowing me access to the world and showcasing my goods to everyone. I have mentioned this before and I will mention it again - they have done something special for me and I will never forget it.

Their generosity and gifting of their tool which allowed me to do something special and go live was a moment I will never forget. My wife was talking online with her friend in the lounge and I was in the kitchen struggling to upload this awkwardly built and rough around the edges blog to the world wide web.

I kept looking at my phone and refreshing the browser to see if it was live. The minute it was, I burst into the lounge and announced it to my wife but I didn’t get the reaction I was expecting.

She wasn’t really bothered or interested. She had seen me go through so many fads, projects, hobbies and jobs, and thought that this was just another one of those.

I returned to the kitchen where I sat down and wallowed in the pool of my achievement. I couldn’t believe it - I had built a site and with the help and generosity of Netlify, I was online and live to the world.

I want to add at this point that the first upload of the blog and the next few subsequent deployments didn’t go to plan and the site wasn’t perfect.

I struggled for the next few months trying to get things right. The first version was in desktop view and appeared like that on mobile too. Each time I uploaded a new site, I hurriedly texted friends on different devices and in different countries to ask what they could see and unfortunately, it was the same as me.

This isn't the end of the world. I was still so pumped at my achievement and like every new challenge and experience - there’s a learning curve and there are mistakes to be made which are all good for improving skills and knowledge as well as character.

I finally figured out what I was doing wrong and moved forward. This moment signalled an improvement in my ability and my skill set. After four months of daily study, I was beginning to finally reap some rewards.

Since that time I have used Netlify to help a few friends go online and I have had issues every time but I have overcome them and learned a valuable lesson each time.

So, not for the last time, I would like to say thank you so much for that magical moment Netlify - it will live with me forever.

Syntax

Syntax wasn’t really a study type of learning resource, even though I did learn about some stuff. As most of what is discussed on the show goes way over my head, its role has been informative while keeping me company. It has been a source of encouragement throughout my studies and a place of enthusiasm and inspiration.

I first listened to Syntax from the beginning as I scoured the podcasts for HTML and CSS related content on my quest to ‘eat, sleep and code’.

At the time, I did not realise the show was so popular. The guys were just good to listen to and spoke about stuff (including non-coding stuff) without being arrogant.

At the beginning I understood zero code and so I understood zero about what they were talking about but they made the topics sound interesting. Now, nearly a year in, I still only understand less than 2% of what they talk about but it is still as entertaining, interesting and fun to listen to as it has always been. As one listener put it, "I don’t understand what you are talking about, but I like listening to you nonetheless as you are interesting."

They do the best job of cranking my enthusiasm and inspiration up to eleven. When I am listening at work I am blown away by the way they describe the topics of the show and the things that developers are capable of doing.

When I listen to them, I feel like an elite athlete, performing in a packed venue on the world stage. I can’t wait to get home and start working on my projects, but this is where I am brought back down to earth.

The moment I sit in front of my laptop, the packed venue disappears and I go from an elite athlete to one person trudging around the block on a dark rainy evening, but that's okay.

As they say in their own words about coding and their successful careers, “We are not geniuses. We just kept at it.” This along with other phrases have pushed me through some difficult times and kept me going.

They explained that they, along with many others, have experienced similar difficult situations and by either sticking with it or going for a walk, they have overcome them.

I want to say to you Scott ‘El Toro Loco’ Tolinski and Wes 'Barracuda’ Bos thanks. Thanks for the information on CSS, JavaScript, breakdancing and BBQ tips. Thanks for the company and the interesting subjects you present in an informative and non-condescending manner. And thanks for the encouragement and making me feel a part of the coding community.

A big thanks to you and your generosity

I would like to use this opportunity to thank the developer community for gifting us learners with all these resources and giving their time and code to help us get better.

I know that at present I only have the HTML and CSS skills to build websites and I also know that I have only deployed a few sites and they are basic. I am aware that I am not going to change the world with what I know or what I can do but I am comfortable with that.

I am in a good place at the moment and happy with who I am. I am a hobby developer and that came the moment I signed up for GitHub.

As a hobby developer, I am happy with how I have progressed and the skills I have aquired. Furthermore, I am also proud of achieving my goal which at the time of setting, seemed quite a hill to climb.

I know that over time I am only going to get better, so I am just going to keep practising for fun. I am lucky enough to have gained a new hobby and found something that I really enjoy- and man - that feels awesome.

One other fact that really makes me happy is that I have a skill that I can use to help others. I have never had a skill which I could use to help other people. I have always been the one that is helped by friends who have had various skills, ranging from building site skills to office work. So now I have started paying back all those people that have helped me in the past and it feels great.

To use an analogy: I have learned how to drive a car. I am not a professional driver or driving for a living. But all those who do drive for a living, at some point, were all beginner drivers like myself.

From the small sites to the larger ones. And from the individuals to the larger companies, there is something out there for everyone. Just get on and make a start.

Thanks for reading

LTCAF