[Noisebridge WebDev] Re(2): Frontend Web Development, Monday 8pm: CSS selectors and the box model

[Aaronco Thirtysix]

Re: Decent Firefox/Iceweasel web-element inspection add-ons besides
Firebug for WebDev students.

On Sun, Sep 30, 2012 at 9:29 AM, Jeffrey Carl Faden
<jeffreyatw at gmail.com> explained:
> The unfortunate fact is, Firebug just isn't as easy to use as Chrome's Developer Tools. For example, there is no way I know of to bring a JavaScript console up regardless of what tab you're in - a feature that I find invaluable in day-to-day work. And having a separate CSS tab, as we saw in the last lecture, is baffling to me.
>
> Fortunately, Chrome can be installed anywhere. If there is a concern with its closed-source components, Chromium - the open source project on which Chrome is based - can be installed instead.

===> OTOH, a good case can be made that WebDev students (if not their
instructors) should use the best software tools available for the
platforms such students are actually and already using.  In practice,
this may mean NOT using a one-size fits-all approach of relying upon a
particular HW architecture (Mac vs. PC), a particular PC OS (Windows
vs. Linux vs BSD), or a particular browser within that particular OS
(Chrome/Chromium vs. Firefox/Iceweasel vs. Opera).

Another aspect well worth considering here is the increasing
development and competition between platforms. In the case of
competitive OS's in past years, there was and perhaps still is a
common perception that if a piece of hardware would work in Linux,
then it would certainly without question work in MS Windows. Due
primarily to Microsoft's request to hardware device manufacturers
(OEMs) that the latter use proprietary device drivers for Windows
OS's, it could not always be accurately said that a piece of hardware
working in Windows would necessarily work correctly using the Linux
kernel or using various Linux distributions' add-on modules.

I think a closely similar concept applies today in the competition
between browsers and their tools; here, Google's products (Chrome,
Chromium) vs. the Mozilla Foundation's (Firefox and its add-ons).
Since Google naturally wishes to grab market and browser-usage share
from Firefox/Iceweasel, I think it's entirely fair to claim that if
there are good features and tools of Firefox/Iceweasel available to
both end-users and developers, then there is certainly no question
that Google has already made available similar or even "better"
features and tools for ITS own browsers.  It is my hope that the
reverse holds true as well here; if Google has good features and tools
available for both end-users and developers, then there should be
little question that the Mozilla Foundation has already made available
(or will make available from third party devs) similar or even
"better" features and tools/add-ons for Firefox/Iceweasel.

Hence my roundabout suggestion to find good element-inspection tools
specifically for the very popular Firefox/Iceweasel _besides_ the
recommended Firebug.

Not written to go out of my way to argue or debate the instructor's
own choices here, though.

Re: Webcast / live-streaming improvements for all.

On Sun, Sep 30, 2012 at 9:29 AM, Jeffrey Carl Faden
<jeffreyatw at gmail.com> explained:
> I started broadcasting the class about a month ago, mostly as an experiment. I found that broadcasting via Google+ Hangouts takes the least amount of extra overhead to set up, and it's free. I don't know of other free, easy options to broadcast and save a 2.5-hour long class to YouTube, so if anyone has a suggestion, I would be happy to try them out.
>
> Again, I'd like to re-stress the fact that I already spend a good amount of my free time setting up the class notes, assignments, teaching the actual classes, etc. I don't have much more time to ensure that the webcast goes without a hitch. The class is intended to be attended in person, with the webcast being more of a crutch for those who can't make it at times.

===> I'm sure that the instructor is receiving absolutely _plenty_ of
positive feedback for the time & effort spent to set up "the class
notes, assignments, teaching the actual classes. etc." for the current
NB Frontend WebDev beta classes (Series 3).
IMHO, there is likewise every reason to anticipate that the
combination of future NB Frontend WebDev betas (upcoming Series 3
sessions, Series 4 sessions, Series 5 sessions, ...etc.) and upcoming
streamed webcasts will _clearly_ demonstrate continual improvements
based upon the instructor's time & effort spent :-)

-A
------------------------------