Category: Personal Struggles

Going Back to the Basics? An argument against using Web Frameworks.

There is a growing movement in the web development community to return to the basics of building websites using just HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This approach often referred to as “vanilla” web development, is seen as an alternative to using frameworks such as React, Vue, and Angular.

One of the main arguments for using vanilla web development is that it allows for greater flexibility and control over the final product. Frameworks can be restrictive in terms of the design and layout of a website while using just HTML, CSS, and JavaScript allows for complete freedom in how the website is built. Additionally, using vanilla web development allows developers to have a deeper understanding of how the website is functioning and how it is interacting with the browser, which can be beneficial for troubleshooting and debugging.

Another argument for using vanilla web development is that it can be more performant than using frameworks. Frameworks often add an additional layer of abstraction between the developer and the browser, which can lead to slower load times and increased memory usage. By using just HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, the browser can render the website more efficiently and quickly.

There are also benefits to using vanilla web development in terms of maintainability and scalability. Frameworks are constantly evolving and updating, which can make it difficult to keep up with the latest changes. With vanilla web development, the codebase is simpler and more straightforward, making it easier to maintain and update over time. Additionally, since the codebase is not tied to a specific framework, it can be more easily scaled and adapted to new technologies in the future.

However, it’s important to note that using frameworks can be beneficial in certain situations, such as when building complex, large-scale applications. Frameworks like React and Vue provide a set of tools and best practices that can make it easier to manage and organize large codebases. They also often provide additional features such as state management and built-in performance optimization.

In conclusion, there are valid arguments for using vanilla web development instead of frameworks when building websites. Vanilla web development allows for greater flexibility and control, can be more performant, and is generally easier to maintain and scale. However, it’s important to evaluate the specific needs of a project and weigh the pros and cons of each approach before making a decision.

Writing Consistently – What to do if you have a blog

First and foremost, writing consistently helps to establish your blog as a reliable source of information. When you publish new content on a regular basis, your readers will come to expect it and will be more likely to visit your blog frequently to see what you have to say. This can help to build a loyal readership and increase the overall popularity of your blog.

Additionally, writing consistently can help you to improve as a writer. The more you practice, the better you will become at crafting compelling and engaging content. This can be especially important if you are using your blog as a platform to share your thoughts and ideas with the world.

Furthermore, writing consistently can help to boost your search engine rankings. Search engines such as Google favor websites that publish fresh, relevant content on a regular basis. By consistently updating your blog with new content, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search results, which can lead to more traffic and greater visibility for your blog.

Another important reason to write consistently is that it can help to keep you motivated and inspired. When you are in the habit of writing regularly, it can be easier to come up with new ideas and to stay focused on your goals. This can be especially useful if you are using your blog as a creative outlet or as a way to share your expertise with others.

Finally, writing consistently can help to build your personal brand and reputation. By consistently sharing your thoughts and ideas with the world, you can establish yourself as a thought leader in your field and build a reputation for expertise and knowledge.

Overall, there are many benefits to writing consistently when maintaining a blog. By publishing fresh, relevant content on a regular basis, you can establish your blog as a reliable source of information, improve your writing skills, boost your search engine rankings, stay motivated and inspired, and build your personal brand and reputation.

This post among all the others is part of my plan to write every day of this year. So far I haven’t missed a day yet, and if I do happen to miss a day then I plan on publishing twice on the next day.

Why I deleted most of my social media accounts and the reasons you should consider doing it yourself.

Recently, I have been deleting and removing just about every social media account I created in the past. Now, this is for a multitude of reasons. Many of these accounts I just simply neglect, I don’t have the time or the energy to maintain them all.


As well, many of these accounts were created simply for reasons to advertise my website or other reasons other than just what those platforms were meant to be used for. Meaning, that the motive behind some, but not all, social media platforms was simply to try and drive traffic to where I wanted it to go.


That is really a bad motive to create something that is a “social platform”, it contradicts the intentions of the creators of those platforms. It is selfish to do this, you wouldn’t want someone to create an account on a website you built just to convince others to visit something you did on a different website.


As well, the reason I deleted many of these accounts is that I wanted to make my online profile as streamlined as possible. If someone wanted to find me, then they can do so here, on my own website. There is no reason to go to other websites such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Quora, and so on.


Having multiple accounts all over the internet increased the chances of my username/password being breached in a data breach. While I strive to make sure each password, I use is different on each website the usernames may overlap. The more data I put out there for someone to find the more likely they may be able to guess a password of mine.


You are not obligated to create accounts on all these social websites. The fact that each website is free simply means you are the product. Why chose to participate in something like that? You aren’t being paid to share such information, and the people who are enriching themselves off your data aren’t exactly doing so for charity or to make the world a better place. Many of these upper executives have very bad motives for the profits that they derive from the data you freely share.


Choosing to not participate in something is empowering. Not being a part of an endless cycle of spreading hate and misinformation means you can live truly free.
I believe as a society we must get back to being more private about our lives. We don’t need to share every aspect of what is going on.


Now, I may still use some of these platforms, but to spread education. I want to spread positivity, not hatred. We need to design platforms that discourage hatred but encourage positivity. Currently, these platforms base everything upon engagement and not the intent of the message. That needs to change.


Choosing to delete your social media profiles may be difficult to some, but I believe the rewards far exceed any potential drawbacks.

My Return to Facebook – How to use Facebook to your advantage!

Hey,

As everyone is removing or deleting their Facebook accounts I want to just briefly mention the reasons why I returned to Facebook. Quite simply this is best said in my YouTube video I posted up just a few hours ago.

Of course, not everyone will agree with me and that is perfectly fine. Using social media should be to your advantage and not to the detriment of your own social life. As always, be cautious of what you read, think critically, and just be wise about your time.

Should Online Instructors ask their students what courses to make in the future?

There is something I see quite a bit online, and honestly, I am a bit perturbed by it. As an instructor, who will soon have some courses online, I don’t ask my students what I should study next to be able to teach them in the future. I believe as a teacher, or instructor, you should be the thought leader.

Now, in marketplaces such as Udemy and Skillshare, getting a feel for demand for a course is a wise idea. However, as someone who is a thought leader you should be able to anticipate the needs of your students beforehand. I can understand the reasons why some instructors do this as they don’t want to waste their time on creating a course that potentially will have no buyers.

Surveying your students about what they would like to learn next shouldn’t be your primary concern. Surveys’ amount to very little in the real world. Surveys don’t actually translate into sellable courses. What matters, and what should be the ultimate determinate of demand for your courses is how well they sell!

The old expression about “money talks” means quite a lot online.

Besides, if you are a true thought leader, you should be more concerned with creating an online curriculum that enhances every other course you make. By creating a curriculum, or a series of courses that can be tied together, you can in effect create more sales.

Anyways, this is something that has been bugging me for quite a while, and I had to get this off my chest and articulate my argument as best as I could! If you disagree with me, please don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments below!

Updates are forthcoming to this website!

Hey all,

This website has sadly been neglected for far too long. This is hopefully going to change. As I continue to write and produce content for Udemy, Kindle, and other platforms I am aiming this to be a portal to those particular platforms.

There are various reasons I have neglected this website. However, as I continue to produce content on other platforms this will be the best resource to get updates/deals on any course(s) I offer.

Please stay tuned to this website for any updates because the best deals will obviously originate from this website first!

For instance, my latest YouTube Tutorial series can be found here:

 

Eventually, I may need to do a complete overhaul of this website as the need may arise. Thank you for reading any of my articles on this website. I appreciate it!

Keratoconus and the various treatment options

Since I have been living with this disease for some time I have actually performed a lot of research into all of the treatment options available. Now, some of these treatment options are not fully FDA approved, but they have been tested for many years and they are generally considered safe. Of course you should use common sense here and not rely on the advice of any blogger, always seek out the opinion of someone who is experienced and even seek out the opinion of two experienced surgeons to get the best advice possible.

Early stage treatment of Keratoconus

The first stage is really nothing major; you can treat this disease with glasses. For many people this can work for years. In fact it was not until recently was I forced to wear contact lenses to treat this condition. Now since the cornea is misshaped you will eventually not be able to see much at all with your glasses, then you go into the second stage of treatment.

You can go for several decades using this treatment option, so if you are just diagnosed with this disease you have a lot of time to figure out your next course of action and how you may want to proceed. As well since the advancements in treating Keratoconus are becoming quite rapid you may experience a longer lasting option then those previously. The best thing I can say to you is to not give up hope.

Second stage treatment

The second stage is potentially made of two options, since the advancements in soft contact lenses it is now possible to use soft contacts for a longer period of time. Getting fit with a custom fit contact lens is going to take some time, however, it will be worth it in the long run.

You can go with the soft contact route to start, and for many this may be the best way to go, or the hard gas permeable lenses. The benefit of using a soft contact lens to begin with is that you should be able to wear these lenses for a longer period of time and they should not cause a lot of issues when you wear them for a long period of time.

Soft contacts are generally safer to use as they will not cause a lot of irritation and because they can be custom made for each eye you should be able to see clearer than with a rigid lens. While you still should not sleep in these lenses it may be possible to do so in the future.

Finally, once you have exhausted the soft contact lens route you can then move on to the hard or glass permeable lenses. These lenses are the “gold standard” of treating Keracontonus. For many people, including myself, the prescription of Jupiter RGP lenses has saved the sight of many people who would otherwise go blind.

The drawback of using an RGP lens however is the overall comfort for long periods of time. As well the care and upkeep of these lenses can be a bit of a pain. Fortunately, you won’t need to dispose of these lenses for roughly two years if your prescription has not changed.

Another drawback of the Jupiter RGP lenses is the overall cost of buying these. Getting fitted with a custom lens is going to take some time, and that time is going to be valuable to any optometrist. This is not just like buying a contact lens from Wal-Mart or something; it takes a lot of effort to get it done the right way so you have the ability to see.

Some of the more aggressive treatment options

Finally, now I am going to discuss some of the more aggressive treatment options. Some of these treatments are not yet approved by the FDA and as such the amount various Doctor’s charge for them varies so it may be helpful to shop around.

Cornea Cross Linking is a treatment option that is undergoing clinical trials in the United States at this time. Essentially what happens is that your top layer of your cornea is peeled back and then drops of riboflavin are dropped into the eye. Once these drops have been placed onto the affected area of the cornea it is then subjected to a low dosage of ultra-violet radiation to cause a cross linking effect. This cross linking effect supposedly flattens the cornea and strengthens it for the future.

Cross linking is not approved by the FDA because there really have not been any guidelines or best practices on how many drops to apply or the level of radiation to give to any patient. Basically, there is not enough information to really give the best end result for the patient and that is why it is not approved yet. So if you feel comfortable undergoing a procedure that may or may not work then I say give it a shot.

Another treatment option that can be combined with cross linking is the use of intac cornea rings. These rings are just as you would imagine, they are small rings that can be tolerated by the body that go into the cornea and flatten out the bulge that causes the problems with all Keracontonus patients. By using cross linking in combination with the intac procedure many people have reported significant vision improvement.

The final stage of Keratoconus

The final stage and the only treatment option available is a full blown cornea transplant. The reason why this should be considered the absolute last resort is that once this procedure has been done it cannot be reversed. Put simply you cannot undo this procedure and as such you should really consider that.

Now there are various types of transplants that can be used. The severity of your condition would dictate if you require a full blown transplant or a partial graft transplant, the benefit of using a partial graft is that you are given a shorter time frame for recovery.

The typical time to recover fully from this procedure is anywhere from 6 to 12 months. Clearly, this can take a lot of time to get over and heal properly. You will be restricted in what you can do and for many people those restrictions will put a serious damper on the lifestyle you have become accustomed to.

Would this mean the end of your life as you know it? Probably not but for one year you will have to treat your affected eye as though it was the most fragile and most valuable part of your body.

Overcoming this disease just takes time, clearly not everyone is ready for hearing the news of being diagnosed with this disease. You can find some good resources in your local town by searching the Internet and if you have a Department of Blind services then I highly recommend you contact them as they will have access to a lot more information then I could give you.