2. Project management¶
This week I failed at reading the assignement on the documentation process.
Research¶
For our first assignment, we had to make a website, so I did and made a complete website using JavaScript and libraries and fancy transitions and everything. But I failed to actually read the assignment and then realised I had to use mkdocs to make a static webpage. So now I’m literally rushing to an hour before class starts to build a really basic mkdocs website and filling it out through literally dictating the computer what to put in the paragraphs.
In coming weeks I will try to revise my original code to make use of the mkdocs libraries. Below you will find some screenshots of the original version, so you can have a look.
I think it is important to note that at this moment this is the mkdocs site. And while there is a version of this site with my intended look and feel, it’s also buggy and not always right for smaller devices. By the time I had that working I had put more time into the website than the actual assignements.
Walkthrough¶
I had the idea of having a sort of conspiracy style wall on my site, where i could just throw all my ideas on, a sort of representation of the endless clutter and mess that is my own brain. I know there are some diagram building libraries out there, like diagramJS, and wondered if anyone had done something with that. As a matter of fact they had. This is Postit-JS.
It’s basically a diagram drawing canvas, but with postit notes instead of diagram-bits. I followed the directions on the github page. Cloned it, installed it, etc..
This does not work in MKDOCS! It just didnt want to, not at all. I was perplexed, tried for 3 weeks to get it to work. At the cost of my other assignements. I tried all sorts of things, I’m pretty sure i annoyed the teacher to death with my questions. Eventually I just decided to start from scratch and strip the mkdocs part off of the site.
Low and behold it worked immediatly.
I was super happy, however this meanth i had to build up the rest of the site aswell. Every single page that mkdocs usually autogenerates. So I learned Webpack, brushed up on my React aswell. And eventually i was 10 weeks in, with no assignements and no website.
Heard of the Sunken Cost Fallacy?
Why are we likely to continue with an investment even if it would be rational to give it up? The Sunk Cost Fallacy describes our tendency to follow through on an endeavor if we have already invested time, effort, or money into it, whether or not the current costs outweigh the benefits. It occurs because we are not purely rational decision-makers and are often(if not always) influenced by our emotions. When we have previously invested in a choice, we are likely to feel guilty or regretful if we do not follow through on that decision.
Anyway, basically, stop feeling, and write down a pro and con list. Make short, quick and rational decisions!
I added a new branch to the gitlab page with the command git branch <insert name> and then reset the master branch to a version where it did have mkdocs.
I make this sound easier than it is though. I am not at all a rational, conscientiuos person. My commit messages are usually nonsense, and I never do research before something, I just jump in headfirst.
Do your research
It took half a day, but i got it working and here we are.
