Technology and CS in Dallas

Author: kathleen

  • Update on Technology Boot Camp and Mystery Shopping

    So I'm down to the following types of Mystery Shopping:

    • Grocery stores in the very local area – got to go there
    • Gas stations (but absolutely no audits) in the immediate area
    • Shops that are fun and near somewhere I have to go anyway.  I did a jewelry store shop o the way to Jenny Craig this week.  That way I can expense the mileage.
    • Food that pays and is stuff I really like.
    • Web shops — I have one that has been going on once a month that pays $80.  I've done some others that pay $10 – $15.
    • Phone shops — those vary.  I'm going an annoying one that pays $15.  You have to call daily.
    • At home shops 
    • Fun stuff that pays a bonus.  Even if a bit of a drive.

    May I did $500.  I'm up to $350 this month.  Note: the last week of the month is the most heavily bonused.  

    I'm also trying another type of IC job.  It's called InSite Inspections and I've done one.  What I like about this, is there is nothing to memorize and as of the second one, today, I can do it on my tablet and have all the data entry done almost as soon as I finish.  The first one I did on paper and it sucked.  I also made a mistake.

    They pay okay, but you have to make a call to the site within 4 hours of accepting the assignment and do it in 48 hours.  So no advanced planning.

    As for the technology bootcamp.  There is a Udemy course on Web Design I really like.  It's "The Complete Web Developer Course 2.0" and you can often find a good deal on it.  I'm not a big fan of video courses, but this one is good.  It has exercises so you can practice.

    I've made it through his HTML and CSS sections and am working on JavaScript now.  I don't think that the CSS is sufficient, but it's a good start.  

  • Mystery Shopping has gotten in the way

    I blogged about it at http://blogs.kweaver.org/blog/2017/04/mystery-shopping-update.html and probably meant to do it here.

    Last month I did over $800 in Mystery Shops, most of them paid me less than $10.00  Yeah, that’s a lot of mystery shopping.

    I had a bad week this week.  Just got back from my husband and I yearly vacation together.  Before I left, I booked a typical week like April.  Total fail. 

    I missed important parts of shops, took really bad images, using a phone I bought for a mystery shop on the 26th.  I took it back, because it was horrible.

    So I’m going to limit myself to phone and internet shops and a few high dollar shops from now on.

    And I’m trying to get back to CSS again. 

  • Join me on Mobee and earn rewards while you shop!

    It's an interesting way to earn some extra money. So far I have earned $10 in iTunes gift cards that I can use right away. They also have Starbucks and cash gift cards. 

    I've been using Mobee to earn gift cards and cash at the stores and restaurants near me! Download for iPhone or Android using my referral code 2DCK and we'll both earn an extra $3 worth of points when you complete your first mission.2DCK

    Sent from my iPhone

  • Boot Camp–CSS–Color

     

    The next section is all about color:

    http://htmldog.com/guides/css/beginner/colors/

    It mentions all the different ways to describe color, from key words, to hex code, rbg, and even HLS colors.

    Either color or background color can be used:

     

    p {

         color:  green;

         background-color: black;

    }

     

    Note that you need to surround CSS with { and } and delimit by : and ;

    ; end the css

    : splits the selector and the property.

     

    It’s always best to separate everything with white space, and not only makes it more readable, but easier to change.

  • Boot Camp–CSS–I swear I’m doing this–Applying CSS

    Obviously it’s my CSS block that is slowing me down.

    There are three ways to apply CSS.  I’m always like doing it backwards, because I think External Stylesheets are the most important.

    http://htmldog.com/guides/css/beginner/applyingcss/

    Every website should have one external style sheet.  It should apply to every page.  Occasionally you might want more than one, but only occasionally.

    Internal stylesheets are for when you want one page to look different.  I’m serious about the one page thing.

    Inline styles are for when you one to make a one-off change.  Think really hard before you do.  If you ever apply the same change more than once, it shouldn’t be in with the HTML.  Same goes for the inline.

  • Boot Camp–CSS–Introduction to CSS

    I’m hoping to finally defeat CSS this time, so we will probably take a long time on it.  HTML is easy, I’ve been teaching it literally for decades, but I’ve never truly groked CSS.

    I can read it, and modify it so it does what I want, but I’ve never been able to make my own.

    So they start with a very quick introduction.

    http://htmldog.com/guides/css/beginner/

    Biggest student mistake – putting HTML in a CSS file.  Don’t do that.

  • Boot Camp–HTML–Last HTML Tutorial

    There last HTML tutorial puts it all together. 

    http://htmldog.com/guides/html/beginner/conclusion/

    Of course, I’ve done some of that already by having you make the start or your portfolio. 

    Once we learn some real coding, we’ll had a contact form so you don’t have to have your email address on your web page.

    By the way, you know not to put your email address on a web page and why don’t you?

    It’s so that bots won’t harvest and send you spam.  Do they even still do that?

  • Boot Camp–HTML–Forms

    Forms allow your user to interact with your website.  They allow you to collect data from the user.  You see them in contact forms, shopping carts, and any other time the website needs to interact with a user.

    The form is only part of the solution, and our tutorial goes into that.

    http://htmldog.com/guides/html/beginner/forms/

    This tutorial is only the tip of the iceberg, there are plenty of  other html tags, but this is a good place to start.

  • Break in the boot camp

    If you read everything from me, I’ve had to take a break in the boot camp.  Was dealing with a cornea abrasion and couldn’t see.

    Will be back in the next few days!

  • Boot Camp–Making Money–Reviews–Surface 4

    Writing good reviews can do two things for you – get some revenue is someone clicks on the link and buys the item or it could get you more items to review.  Many companies do that.

    So first thing is going out to the affiliate network that want to advertise through and find the link for the product you want to review.

    I’m picking the Surface 4 since I’m using it now.

    Here’s the link:

    <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=7HS4x*QBNM0&offerid=452112.5072771100&type=2&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.microsoftstore.com%2Fstore%2Fmsusa%2Fen_US%2Fpdp%2FproductID.5072771100"><IMG border=0 src="https://dri1.img.digitalrivercontent.net/Storefront/Company/msintl/images/English/en-INTL-Surface-Pro4-Refresh-SU3-00001/en-INTL-XL-Surface-Pro4-Refresh-SU3-00001-mnco.jpg" ></a><IMG border=0 width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=7HS4x*QBNM0&bids=452112.5072771100&type=2&subid=0" >

    And here is how it looks on the page.

    Love my Surface Pro 4.  This is the exact same model I use, though the price has gone down – I’ve had it for over a year.

    Runs Windows 10, which I find easier to use than the early versions of Windows, and even easier than the Mac OS.

    Mine came with the Pen. 

    It is small, light, and easy to care.  I take it with me when I travel over night and use it for most of my development needs on the road.

    I recommend getting a Type Cover.  My favorite is the Signature Type Cover.

    It adds very little weight, looks classy, types well and protects your surface.

    Please support my efforts and purchase though these links if you need one.