I’ve been blogging for almost a year. But I’ve been like the driver of a car who has never looked under the hood. I don’t understand the technology that makes my blog work.

Now, I don’t think it is necessary for every blogger to know how to write code. But I’ve felt the need to understand the essentials of the platform my blog is built on. In much the same way as I want to understand the fundamentals of my car’s engine – even if I rely on a mechanic to service it.

So, today I spent the afternoon following the tutorials on a great site, HTML Source. This site provides a practical, easy to follow introduction to html, CSS, JavaScript and other tools needed to develop websites. Its author, Ross Shannon, is a 22 year old PhD student at University College Dublin.

I completed the first tutorial and at the end of it feel that I now understand basic html. I’m not pretending that I can begin to code my own site. But I now know how the basics are put together and I can make some simple edits and additions to my site using Notepad. In other words, I understand what’s under the hood and I can change the oil!

And all of this as a result of the kindness of a young computer wiz five time zones away. Thank you Ross. Your site has enabled me to do something I’ve wanted to do for years – gain a basic understanding of html.