Class Session: Wednesday Aug 22, 2018

Introductory Class and Basics Intro

In this session we will introduce ourselves and learn more about the expectations of the class. We will review the syllabus, the schedule, honor code, and the tasks that will need to be completed by each student.

Task 01.01

Make a Blog Post Introducing yourselves

Your initial posting should be a repeat of what we did in class today. Include it it at least the following:

  1. your name and the name you prefer to be called
  2. your hometown (in whatever manner you chose to define the word "hometown")
  3. your class (first year, second, third, fourth, graduate student)
  4. your major
  5. what you hope to get out of this class

Of course, you may add anything else that you wish.

Part of your Value Added grade is to make 1 post on the class blog every 4 class sessions. These posts will introduce you to the workings of the WordPress Content management system available for use to all students and faculty. However, we will keep Wordpress training at a bare minimum in this class. Instead, we will focus on learning the basics of UNIX, HTML and CSS which will prove to be more profitable for you, and may give you the confidence to adapt or build your own WordPress theme someday.

I will demo how to make a blog post today.

We will open with a "Starter" in our next session

If you would like to be the first student to do a starter, make a blog post before class. Here are the details on a starter: Starter Details. If you need a refresher on how to make the blog post, there is a link to a video on how to do a post here: Link to Blog Post with Video.

Task 01.02

Sign up for at least two newsletters

Sign up for at least two newsletters and make a screen shot of each one.  These will be uploaded to you OPAL account after you set that up.

Required

I want you all to sign up for two newsletters

  1. Alertbox: Current Issues in Web Usability. Jakob Nielsen's biweekly column on how to design more usable websites
  2. Technology Review: a journal of links to articles about technology developments (in their technical, social, and policy aspects)

    The Technology Review sign up form is an example of a very poorly designed User eXperience interface (UX)!  Let this be encouragement for you: Even MIT experts on tech can stand to improve their UX design. Here is some visual help for you:

Your choice

You may, depending on your interests, wish to sign up for one or more of these newsletters, but this is purely optional.

  • Search Engine Watch : tips about internet search engines & search engine submission
  • FirstMonday : a peer-reviewed scholarly journal from the University of Illinois, Chicago
  • Scout Report: a publication of the Internet Scout Research Group, published every Friday both on the Web and by email subscription, it provides a way to stay informed of valuable STEM and humanities resources on the Internet.

Task 01.03

Install VPN application on your Laptop

If you are using your laptop from off-campus, most of the UNC servers that we will be using require a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection. This requires you to download and install an application. Having the application installed is not enough; you will need to launch it before trying to connect. If you attempt to connect to a UNC server from off-campus and have not first launched the app, you may or may not get a warning. Click here for VPN install instructions

Introductory class presentation (reveal.js format)

Quick links

opal login: ssh ONYEN@opal.ils.unc.edu
opal password: ONYEN password

Instructor

Creative Commons License
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Office hours by appointment.