programming with javascript - lesson one - getting started

Introduction!

Welcome to the beginnings of my introduction to programming through Javascript!

There are a couple of things that I wanted to do here.. first.. I want to de-mystify programming for the general public because I feel that programming is a basic skill.. and second just to take a moment right now to talk about what programming means to me..

Programming is a language just like any other written language.  It has grammar and rules, and each program tells a story.  But that story.. is a human story.  Algorithms and theories are simply the tools to improving and enriching our lives.  We see it every day.  Google maps and escape from zombie games.. twitter and authors writing stories by having character accounts tweeting at each other.. and my favorite.. games that have now become stories that challenge our psychology and the issues of our day.

I'd like to invite you to join the excitement that technology brings and perhaps by the end of this.. impart on you the joy of creation

Getting Started!

So for all the newcomers, there are two main methods of executing your code that I'm going to recommend. You can either:
download and open the chrome browser
hit f12,
click on the console tab.  it'll be at the top of the popup on the bottom of the browser window

OR
create a file with the .html extension
in your html file type

<script type="text/javascript">
// write your code below this line!

// write your code above this line!
</script>

write everything between the two script lines
open your file in a browser (I'll be biased.. I prefer Chrome for development),
hit f12 and click to the console tab
use the console like above or refresh the page when you update your file

Hats off to tradition

Just so that you know that you're ready to go you can write this line into the f12 console or your file

console.log('Hello World')

and you should see the text pop up in your browser's console.

Unfortunately, I'm releasing these tutorials one section at a time.. so it won't be terribly useful until a few of these are written.. but hopefully it'll keep me on track and writing.