When I signed into Codecademy this week, I found myself face to face with a 16% complete Python course, a system reminder stating that my account had been inactive for two years, and a sense of slowly rising panic. During the liminal space between finishing undergrad and finding a “real job,” I had briefly dabbled with code, gaining a limited knowledge of HTML & CSS and JavaScript, and promptly forgetting it in the following “gap” years. Fortunately, due to the logical structure of code and the site’s accessible system, I found it relatively easy to pick up where I had left off. At the moment, coding feels a bit like plugging in quite a bit of work for a rather anti-climatic payoff (great, I spent twenty minutes poking about with parentheses and double equals signs so that my computer could tell me that 5 is not, in fact, equivalent to 3). However, I understand the importance of a solid foundation, and I’m excited to see what I can potentially accomplish with code, especially in terms of games, simulations, and other interactive programs.

Additionally, due to Ford’s “What is Code?” article, I downloaded Xcode-beta from the App Store, and I’ve been experimenting with the Swift language in the program’s “Playground.” I’m finding it interesting that, while syntax and terminology vary from language to language, the general principles remain the same (e.g. a series of simple cause/effect commands contributing to a complex program’s makeup and functionality). Furthermore, because the program includes several pre-established frameworks and libraries to assist the user with creating applications for Apple systems (iOS, watchOS, and OS X), I believe that it will be a useful tool for exploring the practical results of learning code and potentially building a final project for this class.

Coding ties directly into studying English because I can use it as a tool to express the ideas that I am already interested in studying, such as queer theory, feminism, and gender, to a larger, more diverse audience and through a wider variety of media. Traditionally, studying English amounts to composing a written analysis with the intention of publication or presentation. Relatively speaking, the audience that reads an article published in an academic journal or attends an academic conference isn’t very large due to factors such as physical accessibility and complicated jargon. By coding, I can present my ideas in a more consumable format (anything from a mildly amusing blog post to a game) and present it to anyone who has access to the Internet (which is still problematic due to socio-economic factors, but this blog post is already too long). I’m especially interested in basic simulations that allow the audience to interact with the topic through a series of choices. This interest is inspired by an online “trans* life simulator” that I recently played, which allows the viewer a brief glimpse into the life and struggles of a trans* person today. By creating a simple game such as this one, I hope to help bridge the gap between theory and lived experience.