How To Code: The Basics

Instagram, Buzzfeed, Flappy Bird (RIP) – turns out, the apps and websites that inform and brighten pretty much every day (okay, minute) of our lives have some pretty hefty science behind them. Though it might seem all those twerking cats and ubiquitous #selfie hashtags dropped from the sky circa 2011, they actually all share one BIG thing in common - they were all created as a result of coding.

Stephen Hawking has called coding, or computer programming to use old-school lingo, the key to revealing ‘the secrets of the universe’. The image of coding - and all things tech-y for that matter- as the preserve of nerdy types lurking in smelly basements couldn’t be further from the truth.

In 2014, geeking out and digitising your skillset is officially cool. There, we said it - and now coding maestros Free:Formers are giving YOU the chance to wise up and get techy with it, in association with HP and our fave YouTube show, The Fox Problem.

CODING MADE EASY IN 4 STEPS:
1. Use free websites that help you write code instantly online like jsbin.com.

2. Use resources like w3schools.com to learn *basic* HTML and CSS.

3. To build a professional website quickly, pay a few pounds for a template on themeforest.net and customise it using your new coding skills!

4. Coders are nice people. If you run into issues, ask for help on stackoverflow.com… it’s free!

Tonight, Free:Formers are hosting an exclusive coding workshop in East London, at The Fox Problem’s very own studios in hipster haven Shoreditch. The workshop promises to teach all you tech enthusiasts how to code in a mere 15 minutes- amazing, considering the amount of time we’ve  spent watching videos of pugs climbing stairs in our lives (just us?!)

The session, which will last two to three hours, will also sharpen your other digital skills and you’ll leave with a wealth of resources to help you become the next Steve Jobs- or, you know, the next viral sensation. Now there’s no excuse not to unleash your inner Daria- if you need us, we’ll be in the Apple store, oversized specs and superhero t-shirt optional.