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+---
+layout: post
+title: A perspective on the state of education (of the Web)
+tags: [ design, personal improvement ]
+type: post
+published: true
+---
+
+This is a [ challenge
+](https://twitter.com/mollydotcom/status/147234090603651072) by [ Molly
+Holzschlag ](http://molly.com) concerning how the Web is taught around here.
+Even though I tend to be opinionated, things have been happening that I
+consider important to a better future.
+
+Learning the craft of the Web has always been hard. It has taken a lot of
+blog posts, trial and error, inspiration, books, <em>etc.</em> to slowly
+progress; all of this... after hours.
+
+You must get things done at daytime. Innovation costs time that doesn't exist.
+At least that's what most companies believe around here in the last 5 years.
+Money is all leaders see, there's not the time nor the money to delve into a
+better process or a better performance. Why bother if the pay is low and things
+are steady? This is a cultural issue and that might just be the hardest
+impediment that our people has to clear.
+
+## Academics is overrated
+
+Our culture has been dictating over the years that the path to success must
+include a college degree. It even includes <em>two</em> now, a bachelor and a
+masters degree. If you achieve none of them, people will think you're an idiot.
+That immediately lowers any expectations for anyone that decides to hire a web
+designer or an open source developer (<em>i.e.</em> not Java / .NET). That's
+probably one of the many reasons why websites like <a
+  href="http://clientsfromhell.com">Clients from Hell</a> show up. We don't
+have <a
+  href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Credit_Transfer_and_Accumulation_System">ECTS</a>
+to prove our clients we can do our job as much as those that do have them.
+
+The nature of the open web allows anyone to learn it and that is wonderful.
+Resources are available everywhere, updated perhaps monthly. The community
+gives their time, tutorials, references and screencasts. How will teachers
+reassess innovative technologies such as HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript? What will
+universities do with such a plethora of information?
+
+It's pretty hard to embrace all this change, so volatile. Trying to enclose an
+everchanging engineering is hurtful for both the enclosed and the enclosing.
+That's my #1 reason to believe that teaching <em>the web isn't meant to be dominated by universities but by the community</em>.
+
+## Education is underrated
+
+I took a Computer Science Engineering degree from 2004 to 2009. Everything I
+know on how to be a web standards designer did not come from that degree. I
+have learned every semantic element, every CSS best practice, every bit of
+jQuery from home, after school. Professors lethargicly give students the
+W3Schools' URL and that's it, they are not required to know more. However, they
+are responsible for the future of website and web application development,
+would they choose to. They ought to know more than simple <code>div</code>s and
+some background colors. They are taught how to give birth to a full fledged,
+top-to-bottom application, from database modeling and systems architecture to
+basic MVC. It seems to me that the V is left a little alone.
+
+True education in its most pure and holistic meaning surpasses any established
+rules. What matters is content and the apprentice's will to absorb it in the
+way he feels it's best for him. Factory oriented learning &mdash; the one
+that's implemented today from kindergarten to college &mdash; violates the
+principle of individuality and it hurts growth. Sadly, achieving individuality
+in the process of learning is utopic at this point in time and thus a
+compromise must be reached.
+
+All we have now is the free Internet. People still keep learning and sharing
+after hours (like I am right now). Twitter allows us to keep up with the
+brightest mentors such as Molly herself, <a
+  href="http://stuffandnonsense.co.uk">Andy Clarke</a>, <a
+  href="http://zeldman.com">Jeffrey Zeldman</a>, <a
+  href="http://adactio.com">Jeremy Keith</a>, <a
+  href="http://simplebits.com">Dan Cederholm</a>, <a
+  href="http://css-tricks.com">Chris Coyier</a>, amongst so many inspired
+people that blog and speak about design, standards and application development.
+I owe them my career, certainly not my college degree. I'm pretty sure most
+good portuguese designers feel the same way, even if ever so slightly.
+
+## Solutions
+
+I have stated before that universities shouldn't raise the flag and shape the
+whole web standards industry. However, there is the room and the need to
+solidify the basic assets of web development. In fact, I totally support the
+creation (if not an update; perhaps a branch on W3C?) of a unique place where
+all these resources can be served with quality documentation and possibility of
+debate, allowing universities to have some sort of reference of what can be
+introduced in their courses and promote the best content to their students.
+This not only:
+
+* Gives future designers and developers' the right skills and techniques so
+  they can do their job like they never did before; but also,
+* Increases the universities' reputation for their investment in practical,
+  meaningful content that helps students get things done fast and done well.
+
+A great example of a standardized way of centering resources in one accessible
+and friendly place is the <a href="http://rubygems.org">Rubygems</a> platform.
+Unlike other programming languages, Ruby has managed to flagpole an idea so
+great and no other language has ever made it this well. Sure, <a
+  href="http://pear.php.net">PEAR for PHP</a> is nice and <a
+  href="http://ctan.tex.org">CTAN for LaTeX</a> is huge but not has rewarding
+and simple as the gem system. Everyone uses Rubygems, all the tools for
+publishing Ruby knowledge are published through it; it builds trust amongst the
+developer community and it's just amazing.
+
+The effort of standardizing education of the web is being debuted in Portugal
+with the birth of a post-graduation in <em>Web design</em> at <a
+  href="http://esad.pt/en/cursos/pos-graduacao/web-design">ESAD</a>. <a
+  href="http://tpwd.net">Tiago Pedras</a> <em>et al</em> have been working hard
+so as to build a course that grants you ECTS points and also means something. I
+look forward to hear from him and acknowledge that finally the bar is being
+raised for everyone.
+
+## Conclusion
+
+After several years, our nation is finally taking its first steps to adulthood
+regarding the craft of the web. Up until now, every designer was a nomad
+messing around with what they thought they knew and stuck with it. Now there's
+a chance for constantly embracing change and be happy about it. Let's look at
+what has been done well in the last few years and consider the chance of making
+the world a better place through creativity and care, one step at a time.