I started getting interested in web development, probably in 2004. For some unknown reason, I wasn't particularly satisfied with just installing something someone else had written and using that on my webspace - I wanted to know how to do it myself.
So, I hit the tutorials, the php.net documentation, the w3c site, then later on, howtocreate.co.uk and, much later, the jquery documentation. In between writing individual lines of code, checking, failing, retrying and failing some more, I'd post my incredibly simple questions for the (never tiring) developers on here to answer, and I think there was only one occasion that something didn't get a response (I probably figured it out or abandoned it anyway!).
Time, invariably, wore on. I got more comfortable with my tools, and became vastly more capable. I started to wonder why I was even doing my stupid admin job when I was already way better than my friends who were in the second year of their degree at doing the same thing, so I started looking for jobs, got a job as a junior, then moved to a much larger company doing much more interesting things (all-the-while, teaching myself new tricks in my spare time), then moved to where I am now, developing pretty large internal applications for a multinational HR and Payroll company.
I really believe that I'd have totally lost interest in coding if it weren't for the helping hands of you guys (specifically Augmented, Dj_Jestar, Inquisitor and robmiller - think you guys probably helped me more than you or others realise, but everyone who did has thanks in here, too) gave me, I'd have given up when phased with some of the more confusing things I came across.
The reason for this thread is that I was approached by my manager on Thursday and told that my performance since July (when I started) has been outstanding, down to advising on functionality of portals, communities, email campaign managers, intranets and corporate websites and following it up with applications that deliver on everything I've promised. In light of this, organisational charts have been authorised by our HR director and are now with the CEO for sign-off to make me Senior Developer and Team Leader of a new department called Web Projects (covering all the aforementioned areas), putting me in charge of 2 developers for now, but increasing with demand.
The "senior" in my job title moves me to one away from the highest rank of developer available in our company, and comes with a payrise that will surely expedite removing myself from debt and allow me to start planning to buy a house with my girlfriend.
You may think that it's quite a connection to make between OcUK and all of this stuff that's been going on in my life (if you've got this far, I assume that you actually care!) but it's, absolutely, one that I make and don't take lightly.
Once again, I thank all of you guys (especially those specifically mentioned) because you've really helped me get my life on track and, in my opinion, improve it more than I ever would have without you.
Excuse the soppiness, but I'm on cloud 9 with this at the moment and wanted to let you all know what you've done and how much I appreciate it.
Jasper
So, I hit the tutorials, the php.net documentation, the w3c site, then later on, howtocreate.co.uk and, much later, the jquery documentation. In between writing individual lines of code, checking, failing, retrying and failing some more, I'd post my incredibly simple questions for the (never tiring) developers on here to answer, and I think there was only one occasion that something didn't get a response (I probably figured it out or abandoned it anyway!).
Time, invariably, wore on. I got more comfortable with my tools, and became vastly more capable. I started to wonder why I was even doing my stupid admin job when I was already way better than my friends who were in the second year of their degree at doing the same thing, so I started looking for jobs, got a job as a junior, then moved to a much larger company doing much more interesting things (all-the-while, teaching myself new tricks in my spare time), then moved to where I am now, developing pretty large internal applications for a multinational HR and Payroll company.
I really believe that I'd have totally lost interest in coding if it weren't for the helping hands of you guys (specifically Augmented, Dj_Jestar, Inquisitor and robmiller - think you guys probably helped me more than you or others realise, but everyone who did has thanks in here, too) gave me, I'd have given up when phased with some of the more confusing things I came across.
The reason for this thread is that I was approached by my manager on Thursday and told that my performance since July (when I started) has been outstanding, down to advising on functionality of portals, communities, email campaign managers, intranets and corporate websites and following it up with applications that deliver on everything I've promised. In light of this, organisational charts have been authorised by our HR director and are now with the CEO for sign-off to make me Senior Developer and Team Leader of a new department called Web Projects (covering all the aforementioned areas), putting me in charge of 2 developers for now, but increasing with demand.
The "senior" in my job title moves me to one away from the highest rank of developer available in our company, and comes with a payrise that will surely expedite removing myself from debt and allow me to start planning to buy a house with my girlfriend.
You may think that it's quite a connection to make between OcUK and all of this stuff that's been going on in my life (if you've got this far, I assume that you actually care!) but it's, absolutely, one that I make and don't take lightly.
Once again, I thank all of you guys (especially those specifically mentioned) because you've really helped me get my life on track and, in my opinion, improve it more than I ever would have without you.
Excuse the soppiness, but I'm on cloud 9 with this at the moment and wanted to let you all know what you've done and how much I appreciate it.
Jasper
