In 2005, I began my journey into web coding when a friend built a static site for me. Initially, it was a simple HTML page listing class times and fees. Intrigued by how the site worked, I wanted to manage updates myself. Back then, this involved directly editing the code, which often led to layout issues and page crashes.

I encountered challenges such as losing work due to not saving documents or having backups. Despite these setbacks, my determination to learn and improve grew. I joined various web forums and was impressed by the community’s helpfulness. By following the best-practice advice shared by forum members, I implemented several improvements, including SEO strategies, HTML semantics, page load optimisation, content refinement, image optimisation, and security measures.

These efforts led to a well-performing website that adhered to W3C web standards. The site effectively served my needs, helping people find my classes and make bookings. It also caught the attention of a local design consultant, leading to my first paid web development projects. This website became an experimental project that laid the foundation for my web development career.

Soon after, I introduced PHP into my projects, expanding my knowledge of server-side environments, routing, and page templating. I learned how to create reusable code and efficiently include code across multiple parts of the site, reducing duplication.

Setting up a local LAMP stack environment on my PC proved invaluable for development work. It allowed me to run projects on virtual hosts locally, facilitating a more efficient and controlled development process.

As web development evolved, the need for content management systems (CMS) became apparent. To advance my career, I sought private tuition and attended evening classes at City Lit, focusing on JavaScript, PHP, object-oriented PHP, and MySQL. This formal education deepened my understanding and skills in web development.