Credible, focused, concise information can be hard to find online. When you have a question, you want to find the right answer quickly and return to your primary task. During my learning journey (which continues as intensely as ever), I have found the resources listed below to be helpful.
I use a MacBook Pro for my development work. If you use a PC you will need to find Windows equivalents for some of the tools and resources I’ve referenced here. If you use Linux you are likely far beyond the level of this post already.
Search Engine
You may be surprised at my choice. While Google has created many useful tools and their search engine is undoubtedly the best, I have reluctantly concluded their use of the information they collect about you is irredeemably evil. DuckDuckGo does not collect your personal info or track you. I have found their answer sets to be on par with Google’s. I suggest you try DuckDuckGo and make it your default search engine on your computer, phone, and tablet.
Apple
I admit I had no idea there are so many macOS commands. You will probably only use a fraction of them, but when you need to see if there is a command to do X, this is a good place to start.
If you know the command you want to use but need to know the syntax of its options, it can be quicker to use the man (manual) command while in your terminal program. For example, if you want information on the ls command, type man ls and enter, then press the spacebar to page through the entry for that command. You can type q to quit and return to the command line.
Ideas and Inspiration
I look primarily to two sources for ideas and inspiration on all the tech topics this blog will cover.
Sidebar (Free)
Five links to design topics every day. Some topics are too design-y for me, but there are enough articles on CSS, HTML, typography, color theory, web trends, and basic design to keep me coming back. The quality of the articles chosen is generally high and the randomness of discovery is refreshing.
Medium (Subscription if you want to read more than a few artiles per month)
If you click on Sidebar’s links, you will be reading articles on Medium sooner or later, and probably sooner. Medium has articles in dozens of categories, not just design, so once you’re there you will probably find yourself browsing through articles on other topics that interest you. The design and tech articles are often excellent and include subjects that are more hard-core tech then you’ll typically find through Sidebar.
Another benefit of Medium is that it will learn your interests over time and suggest other similar articles. Unlike other publications, I find Medium’s suggestions to be of sufficient interest to click through often.
If you are philosophically opposed to paying for content then Medium is not for you. I find the modest subscription fee (US$50/year) to be well worth it.
Updated 24 May 2020