lain teaches you how to code

Summary

In this instructional video, the creator shares their experience building a website using NeoCities, a free hosting platform. They emphasize that even beginners can easily learn coding with HTML, CSS, and Java. The video offers a step-by-step guide on setting up a domain, editing the site's code, and creating a stylesheet for consistent design. The creator also encourages viewers to explore other NeoCities sites for inspiration and to share their own creations, highlighting the joy of self-taught coding and the importance of responsive design.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker shares their experience in coding a website from scratch, emphasizing that it's not as difficult as it seems, especially with knowledge of HTML, Java, and CSS.
• 🌐 The recommended website for hosting and creating a free URL is NeoCities, which is user-friendly even for beginners.
• 🔒 When choosing a URL, be certain as changing it later might affect website traffic since old links won't automatically redirect to the new URL.
• 📝 After signing up, the user will have access to a dashboard with options to edit their site, visit it, and check traffic and activities.
• ✂️ Editing the website involves navigating to the 'edit' option, which leads to the backend where the HTML code can be manipulated.
• 🎨 The speaker suggests creating a stylesheet for consistent formatting across the site, which is a foundational but time-consuming task.
• 📚 Having a stylesheet in place provides a solid groundwork for the website, making further development more organized and efficient.
• 💻 HTML was found to be an easy language to pick up for the speaker, even with no prior coding experience, and was learned within about a month.
• 👀 NeoCities also offers the opportunity to view and draw inspiration from other users' websites, which can be a valuable resource for new creators.
• 🌟 The speaker's website took a year to complete, involving late-night coding sessions and a focus on responsive design for various devices.
• 📝 The speaker encourages others to try coding and website creation, sharing their enjoyment of the learning process and the freedom it offers to learn at one's own pace.
• 🔗 A link to the NeoCities website will be provided in the description for those interested in creating their own website.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video transcript?

The main topic of the video transcript is teaching viewers how to code a website, specifically using HTML, Java, and CSS, and utilizing a hosting site called NeoCities.

What does the speaker suggest for beginners who want to start coding a website?

The speaker suggests that beginners don't need to worry because they were also a beginner when they started coding their website. They emphasize that HTML, Java, and CSS are the main skills needed, and that the process is not too hard.

What is NeoCities and how is it used in the context of the video?

NeoCities is a hosting site where users can host their own URL for free. The speaker used it to create their website and recommends it for its ease of use and the ability to view and get inspiration from other people's websites.

Why is it important to choose a domain name carefully when signing up on NeoCities?

Choosing a domain name carefully is important because changing it later might affect the website's traffic. If the URL changes, people may not be redirected to the new URL, potentially losing visitors.

What does the speaker suggest as a good starting point for coding a website?

The speaker suggests starting with an 'edit' button to access the code behind the scenes of the website. They also recommend creating a separate stylesheet for the website's formatting, which serves as the groundwork.

What is a stylesheet and why is it important for a website?

A stylesheet is a separate file that contains the formatting for a website, such as fonts, text boxes, decorations, and image backgrounds. It is important because it provides organization and consistency across the website, and it saves time by not having to repeat the same code on every page.

How does the speaker describe their experience with HTML as a beginner?

The speaker describes their experience with HTML as quite easy to pick up, even with no prior coding experience. They mention that they were able to learn HTML within about a month.

What is the speaker's advice for those who are interested in making a website using NeoCities?

The speaker advises to comment on the video if viewers decide to make a website using NeoCities, as they are interested in seeing others' work and have not met many people who have used the platform.

What did the speaker find challenging about coding their website?

The speaker found creating the stylesheet to be the most time-consuming and challenging part of coding their website, as it involved writing almost 900 lines of code and ensuring the site looked the same on both desktop and mobile devices.

What did the speaker enjoy about the process of learning to code and creating their website?

The speaker enjoyed the learning process itself, as they were able to go at their own pace and learn whatever they wanted. They also enjoyed the challenge and the sense of accomplishment that came with figuring out how to make their website work.

How does the speaker plan to share the link to NeoCities for those interested in making their own website?

The speaker plans to leave the link to NeoCities in the video description, making it easily accessible for those who are interested in making their own website.