The latest articles on DEV Community by Dina Gathe (@soundstruck). https://dev.to/soundstruck https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F1185%2F8b2bd775-fd4b-4a5c-860f-8f079381b601.jpg https://dev.to/soundstruck en Dina Gathe Thu, 08 Mar 2018 03:44:38 +0000 https://dev.to/soundstruck/nevertheless-dina-coded-and-coded-and-coded-some-more--3o5m https://dev.to/soundstruck/nevertheless-dina-coded-and-coded-and-coded-some-more--3o5m <h2> I continue to code because... </h2> <p>At this point I just can’t imagine not coding. Over the years, coding has become something more than just a work skill for me. I suppose that’s the creative part of coding that I love — when it’s fun it’s an extension of yourself. </p> <h2> I recently overcame... </h2> <p>Many bouts of self-doubt while trying to break from my comfort zone and learn a new language, new stack, new tools, etc. I really appreciate supportive and inspirational communities like dev.to when I need to drag myself out of the self-doubt pit.</p> <h2> I want to brag about… </h2> <p>I finally finished my first SaaS app, <a href="https://setlistic.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Setlistic!</a> Yay!</p> <h2> I’m an expert at... </h2> <p>I’m an expert at seeing the forest through the trees, and being able to break things down and explain things in simple ways that people seem to understand. I typically use those superpowers in my day job, but I may try to turn that into a side project one day.🤔</p> <h2> I’m excited about... </h2> <p>I can’t wait to learn new things, explore new opportunities and build new apps. It’s exciting to think about people wanting or needing to use whatever it is that you build. I’ve always loved the idea of building things that solve problems for people.</p> <h2> I look up to... </h2> <p>I really look up to the younger generation of up-and-coming female developers. It’s so great to see the interest. They continue to impress me every day and I look forward to seeing the things they’ll build!</p> <h2> My advice for other women and non-binary folks who code is... </h2> <p>Be patient….coding is a long game. It’s like building that big snowball a little at a time. Stay positive. Ask for help when you need it. Give back when you can. Be true to yourself in everything you do. </p> <p><em>Cover Photo by Goran Ivos on <a href="https://unsplash.com/@goran_ivos" rel="noopener noreferrer">Unsplash</a></em></p> wecoded Dina Gathe Fri, 10 Mar 2017 22:41:26 +0000 https://dev.to/soundstruck/ideas-about-preserving-history-of-fixes-to-problems-youve-encountered https://dev.to/soundstruck/ideas-about-preserving-history-of-fixes-to-problems-youve-encountered <p>Every so often, you get stuck...and sometimes you run into a problem that you <em>know</em> you've solved before, right? Often for me it's some annoying issue with a dev tool.</p> <p>After having to experience re-Googling and re-researching, I've been trying to use browser bookmarks and notes as a sort of library by topics/tags to keep a history of fixes to problems that I encounter. Sometimes they never come up again, but occasionally they do. </p> <p>What tools do you guys use to combat the dreaded re-Googling? Or are you okay with re-Googling?</p> discuss Dina Gathe Tue, 07 Mar 2017 21:08:39 +0000 https://dev.to/soundstruck/nevertheless-puckrockgrrl-coded https://dev.to/soundstruck/nevertheless-puckrockgrrl-coded <h2> I began coding because... </h2> <p>I suppose there are several underlying factors that got me to start actually coding. The simplest answer is probably just because I have always been fascinated by technology and software, and had wanted to try. But I didn't really do it seriously until I got to a point in my career where I had tired of being in management and was looking for a way to still earn a healthy income and not necessarily be so tied into management and its politics. I wanted something a little more independent. I think I found that in coding, because mostly if I'm struggling with something it's between me and the code! I taught myself to code on my lunch breaks, evenings and weekends.</p> <p>The other reason is that I've always enjoyed being a creator, where you start out with nothing but an idea, and end up with something that didn't exist before. That's always exciting to me! Outside of my own music and art, coding is just another way for me to create.</p> <h2> I'm currently hacking on... </h2> <p>I'm currently building a setlist management app, using the Phoenix/Elixir stack with Vue on the front-end. I'm also dipping my toes into the React Native waters and planning a simple nutrition-based mobile app. Side projects are fun when you can give them some love.</p> <h2> I'm excited about... </h2> <p>Lately I've been excited about all the new things I've been learning — functional programming with Elixir, new frameworks, and automation/provisioning tools.</p> <h2> My advice for other women who code is... </h2> <p>My advice would be to work on establishing a good sense of code quality, which takes some time and experience so be patient but do seek it out. Balance that sense of code quality with a healthy dose of pragmatism (resist temptations to prematurely optimize all the things).</p> <p>Side projects present great opportunities to challenge yourself and work outside of your comfort zone in order to grow. Teaching others is helpful, too. There have been many times when I've had insights and new ideas just because I was explaining to someone else how my code worked. Saying things out loud can be a spark.</p> <p>Find good code mentors and stay learning. Code mentors can be people you've never met in person, especially nowadays with so many good devs posting great tutorials, blog posts, videos, etc. Being a great coder is so much more than syntax and frameworks. Dev.to is a great new resource! :-)</p> wecoded