Throughout this course, I have learned a multitude of new information about modern-day technology that I was not aware of before. During my first week, I had not expected to be learning the specifics of coding, and I was also not aware that I could do so on my own computer by downloading a simple software application onto my laptop. While downloading the software and setting up Visual Studio Code was challenging at first, I’ve now managed to work with both properly. At first GitBash, the coding software we used for this course, had some problems when it came to using certain codes. This got confusing when I would try to follow along with the instructions we were given in class but I would run into some sort of error when I would do so on my own. This proved to be a very frustrating introduction, but overtime, it has gotten easier.
One thing I found by practicing these codes is that once you get the hang of them, they can be quite impressive to watch. These past few weeks, we learned to open a journal file on Visual Studio Code through the GitBash code commands. I typically like to have both set up as a split screen on my computer and now I am able to watch the file open itself once I type in ‘code journal.’ It’s a simple task, and one I am able to do manually, but it’s rather satisfying to watch one application open another exactly how I want it to be formatted. This is also a rewarding task, as it makes me feel like I am keeping up with the rest of my peers and improving with the code commands.
With all this new information we have learned, it’s very helpful to make notes about each of the different commands. While most of them are abbreviations, it’s a lot of new material and I try to write down as much as I can. While it’s difficult to remember most of these commands, I’ve managed to become familiar with a few of the basics such as “pwd, cd ~, ls, clear…). I think with more practice, I will get better at remembering these codes which will help me move forward more effiently in the course.
I’d say the main connection between computers and humanities that I hadn’t thought of before was that computers were originally human. As we learned in our readings, there were certified computers, or people and more specifically women, that made computations and calculations before these technologies were established. In this modern age, I think it’s easy for my generation to brush over the technicalities and origins behind the technologies we have today. Similar to my photography class, where we learned how a camera actually functions through light and mirrors, it’s easy to focus on the product itself rather than the work and the science behind how it was made. Most of the time, it’s because for a lot of us, it’s almost unfathomable that these inventions were created with what we had at the time, so it’s really interesting to learn how these products came to be.