I recently provisioned a Ubuntu virtual private server (VPS) on Vultr. I’m partial to CentOS myself, but the task I was working on recommended Ubuntu. To set up key-based authentication from my laptop to the server, I generated a new SSH keypair (named “ubuntu”) on my Mac using the command…

This week I began my latest development project: A Rails-based journal app that Google-authenticated users post to via email. It’s a simple enough concept, but my project’s significance lies in the fact that I am building it using nothing but knowledge I already possess, and documentation. That’s right: No tutorials. …

Ever since I learned of Bootstrap, I have incorporated the framework into all my front-end work. I enjoy being able to easily configure fully-responsive layouts. …

I feel almost guilty to admit that it’s taken me just shy of 3 weeks to write this post. If you’ve followed my developer journey so far, you’ve read about my coding challenges and triumphs, the safety I’ve felt from committed, compassionate mentorship, and the lessons I’ve learned from teamwork. …

I recently wrapped up my capstone activity at The Firehose Project. 🎉 With 3 other remote developers, I built a chess application on Rails (with some JavaScript) using Agile Development principles. The 7-week project flew by so fast and, once I wrapped the bootcamp up, I crashed like spat-out bubblegum…

When I first wrote about Test-Driven Development, I thought I was in love with the concept… but that was just the flirting stage. Now I’ve fallen head-over-Louboutins, girlfriend! 😍 The efficiency gains from not needing to fire my app up for testing are just the beginning. Developing my apps with…

I recently started the phase of my bootcamp where students tackle building a complex web application — a chess game — as part of an Agile Development Team. I was equal parts exhilarated and terrified. Hitherto, my apps have been for-my-eyes-only (and yes, also my mentor’s and instructors’ — but…

As I progress through The Firehose Project, I find that most of my organic learning happens when I attempt to go beyond the specifications of the apps we build. My experience with our our Javascript-powered Single Page Application (SPA) project was no different. The app was simple: a Rails-based To-Do…

I recently wrote about my foray into Test-Driven Development. Following that experience, I was reminded of why I appreciate being mentored as a new developer. I’d just completed the Linked List data-structure challenge, where I wrote code that built a Linked List, reversed the list by implementing a stack, then…