Practice is the best form of hope.

Tag: Backbone.js

  • Span tag paintings

    Span tag paintings

    My pal Chris is artist always experimenting with new mediums. He was excited to find that if instead of a traditional canvas, you were to use a web browser, and instead of paints and paintbrushes, you were to use HTML span tags, you’d get an interactive image resembling 8-bit artwork. What the heck is that? Here’s the Mono Lisa, for example:

    Span tag paintings

    Note how the appearance changes dramatically if you resize the browser. Span tag paintings are responsive.

    In trying to create a photorealistic span painting of President Barrack Obama, Chris found that it was a rather tedious process. Thanks, Obama! I told Chris that using PHP I could teach a computer to make these paintings faster than he could. He was thrilled when my script produced the following image before he could finish his painting.

    Span tag paintings

    I then extended my script into this neat Backbone.js app, allowing Chris to upload any image which would automatically be changed into an HTML painting. I even built a color picker so you could limit the colors in your painting to a pallet of your choosing. Here is an image of acclaimed painter Bob Ross which was produced by script. Span tag paintings

    I’m glad that Chris made these paintings.  You can see some of his favorites here. I like how you can make different patterns by resizing the window, and then BOOM! the image jumps out at you as soon as you find the right size. We also discovered that image will repeat itself at regular intervals.

    Span tag paintings

    Pretty good. Pretty neat. Please reply with your own painting.

  • Maine WordPress Meetup summary March 2015

    Maine WordPress Meetup summary March 2015

    At this month’s meetup, we tried something different. Our intention was too lead a Node School style gathering, where we work on a project and learn to use the WP REST API.  Host Gary Thayer called it ‘Hands-on with JSON’.  Though I got some good feedback after the meetup, the workshop didn’t go quite as planned.

    I hoped we’d have a social coding session, where we’d each write our own javascript app. I made a fairly simple spec doc for the app, called Game-a-tron, and gave the option to write your own from scratch, or follow a step-by-step guide that I deployed t0 Github. There was a bit of reluctance to participate, and I instead used the overhead projector to walk us through my guide.

    What I learned

    If you are going to lead a coding workshop, you have to set the mood. Instead of participants sitting with their laptops on their laps, next time I’d like to provide tables. There should be open refreshments, and music. I think if I had put more effort into creating an informal hangout, people would have been less shy. We’ll get ’em next time!

    Personally, I found the endeavor worthwhile. I gained a deeper understanding of Git, and how it can be used as a teaching tool. Seriously folks, checkout nodeschool.io. They are doing some amazing things with educational Git robots, and interactive CLI lessons. I also became acquainted with Backbone.js, and how it is an ideal tool for communicating with APIs. Not too shabby.

    I’m thankful, as always for Hall Internet Marketing for hosting the event. Be sure to join us next month!