315 hours are now over, I’ve done a lot in that time and learned a ton. One thing I learned at the village web company is using a 3D printer, this caught my attention as I thought it was very interesting. The 3D printer allowed us to print virtually anything however we were unsure how to use it at first as Claire had only recently got it so she was still trying stuff out. We started off by trying small cubes that had X Y Z on them that were called ‘calibration cubes’ these were used just to test the 3D printer to see if it worked, once it worked consistently we could start downloading things to print off a website called Thingy verse. Once we found something interesting on Thingy verse and made sure it was the right size we downloaded it as an STL file and then sent it to a program called Cura which could download it into the 3D printer and then begin printing. We also started to make our own designs on Tinker cad, I followed different tutorials to make certain items like a chess piece and then did my own designs but they weren’t very good.
WordPress
Aside from the 3D printer, I also started using WordPress, before coming here I had only heard of the name but absolutely no idea how to use it or what it even really was. I got taught how to use WordPress to update client websites and make backups of their websites. I also learned how to create my own websites and use various different themes as well as different useful plugins, I experimented with a few but later made websites that were far better than what I’ve done previously.
This is the most recent one that I have worked on alongside Matthew, I made the logo using Canva which is another skill that I have learned as before I only briefly used Canva but upon coming here I used it more regularly. We set up a booking system, we added a contact page using ninja forms and added various copyright free images from sites like Pixabay and Unsplash.
I also made some other websites, one for a portfolio of stuff I’ve done previously and also bought my own web domain to put that portfolio on there (shahzaibawan.co.uk) , I’ve made a gym website that I customised regularly and I also made a garden website that was more of an example gardening site. I changed one website into a complete blank state only adding sample images and text and made sure that it was essentially a template website.
Github
I have used GitHub before at college however I did not use it much so I even forgot some of the features, however upon arriving here I started to use GitHub to fork repositories and upload different code files that I had made.
I have even made a plugin for WordPress that was based off HelloDolly, I made it so that it would display some tips for using WordPress instead of song lyrics.
Conclusion
I have enjoyed coming here as I have learned a lot of useful things such as using WordPress, a better understanding of GitHub and using the 3D Printer. I have also learned how to interact with customers as when we first started I didn’t know what to say to customers and what to do but by the end I could easily welcome a customer in, take their info and I could also answer calls for Claire. I would recommend this work placement as I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Posted in VillageWebCo | Comments Off on Shahzaib’s final day at placement
Nowadays technology is so prevalent that kids under 3 will have access to technology and will regularly use it their whole life. With such technology there comes a lot of risks, one such being videogames, videogames and apps are not necessarily bad, however sometimes the people on the games or the social media apps can cause a lot of harm and long lasting effects. Thankfully, there are a multitude of ways to prevent it, first let’s mention what some of the games and apps are and then some safety tips regarding them.
Fortnite
Fortnite is a popular battle royale game where players compete to be the last one standing. It involves combat, strategic building, and collaboration with other players.
Safety Tips:
1 – Parental Controls: Use the in-game parental controls to manage who your child can communicate with.
2 – Monitor Multiplayer: Despite it being a battle royale, there are other modes such as creative where users can make and do anything, ensure they only play age appropriate games.
3 – Manage Friend Requests: Make sure that the people your child adds are people they know in real life.
4 – Purchases: Ensure that any purchase is a one-time thing and remove the card from the account once the purchase is made, otherwise the child could easily keep buying items in the game.
5 – Communication: Disable/limit voice chat so any strangers can’t talk to your child and they can’t talk back to them.
Call of Duty (COD)
COD is a first-person shooter game known for its realistic graphics and intense gameplay. It often features team-based missions and multiplayer modes.
Safety Tips:
1 – Communication: Disable/limit voice chat so that strangers will not be able to talk to your child
2 – Discuss online safety: Ensure your child know what not to say to strangers if they manage to speak to people online
3 – Manage Friend Requests: Ensure that your child does not add every single person they see and instead only add people they know in real life
4 – Teach : Teach your child that games are different to real life
The way to keep safe on both these games are quite similar, here is a game where little to no supervision is required:
Minecraft
Minecraft is a sandbox game that encourages creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. Players can build and explore virtual worlds made up of blocks.
The way in which Minecraft is more of a safe game is that it has a popular single player mode where players can build, explore and create contraptions. The only problem that can come is multiplayer, if your child joins servers then anyone can talk to them, there is a way to disable the chat though and if the child is on PlayStation or Xbox then not having PsPlus or Xbox Live will disable multiplayer and make it so they can only play single player.
Snapchat
Snapchat is a social media app that allows users to send photos and videos that disappear after being viewed. It also has a messaging feature and various filters.
Safety Tips:
1 – Privacy Settings: Set your child’s account to private to control who can see their snaps.
2 – Friend Requests: Teach your child to only accept friend requests from people they know
3 – Monitor Usage: Regularly check who your child is communicating with and what they are sharing.
4 – Discuss Online Behaviour: Educate your child about the risks of sharing personal information and inappropriate content.
Instagram will be pretty similar, the main takeaway is to monitor their online usage and to disable/monitor friend requests on these apps and for videogames to limit voice chat and monitor the age rating of severs/lobbies that the child could join. There is an app where children can socialise with little to no harm and that is:
WhatsApp:
WhatsApp is an app where you can easily message, call, facetime ,make group chats and it is totally secure as in order to use WhatsApp you need a phone number.
This means that if your child wants to talk to their friend all they need is their phone number and they can talk to them on WhatsApp with little to no risk. As long as your child doesn’t get access to someone else’s number that they shouldn’t have access to then they should be fine.
Posted in VillageWebCo | Comments Off on General E-Safety
The way to make a website using HTML is actually quite simple, here is a few steps on how to get started:
Step 1:
First make a folder and save it somewhere where you can easily access it for example, your desktop
Step 2:
Open up your code editor, for me its VS code, once it is open, you should click on create new file and call it ‘index.html’ , save the file in the folder that you have already created.
If you click on the file in the folder it will open it in the browser, this will be important later.
Step 3:
In the file called ‘index.html’ type out ‘html:5’ and click enter and then add ‘-gb’ to where the language is, this will make it so that the language is set to the UK and not American English, if everything is done you should be left with this
now that you have a basic template done you can follow these next steps to see what else is possible with html
Step 4:
<h1> level one heading </h1>
<h2> level two heading</h2>
<h3>level three heading</h3>
<h4>level four heading</h4>
<h5>level five heading</h5>
<h6>level six heading</h6>
Using this makes it so that each heading will be smaller then the previous one so heading one will be the biggest.
Step 5:
<p> paragraph </p>
this line of code is just so you can input a block of text, now using the information learned, we can put them together and make this:
Remember to save any changes and now you should have a decent understanding of how to use html to make a website.
Posted in VillageWebCo | Comments Off on Guide on using HTML
We have just completed half of our placement now and I have learned a lot. I have learned how to navigate through bit warden and use that in order to manage a range of different websites to sign in them and update and backup the websites.
I have also tried to use different software to take advantage of the 3D printer and be able to design my own ideas, however, I have been quite unsuccessful as I find it hard to navigate, hopefully I get better at it over time.
I have also learned how to design websites using WordPress as I have never used WordPress before and have only heard of it. I have created demo sites to test out different features, one of these is making an e-commerce website.
Posted in VillageWebCo | Comments Off on Romiley Adventures pt4
I turned 18 a couple of days ago and now I feel enlightened. I tried out Chai village and it was very good! The 192 has gotten easier to get on and the journey to Romiley is better than before as I know my way around. I find the work at village web company to be fun and interesting as it is updating websites for real clients.
I once again got onto the treacherous 192 again and made my way into Stockport and then on the 384 into Romiley. I have been fasting for the past few weeks so when we get our lunch break I go into Sainsburys and stare at the food because I can’t eat it yet and it provides encouragement as I can practically taste it. I have learned a lot so far on how to update websites on WordPress, make backups and use the 3D printer, I have also made a calendar using JavaScript, html and CSS.
I made my way through the treacherous Longsight and in the 192 to Stockport, upon arriving in Stockport I made my way to the 384 and got in and headed to Romiley, I really liked the area and the village web company was in a good place with many excellent shops near its vicinity, especially compared to Longsight. Despite only being here for one day, I have enjoyed my time here and will most likely continue to enjoy it even if its for 315 hours.
