During my time at Ooligan, I have been told by multiple people that XML coding is the portion of the Ooligan workflow that they are most unfamiliar with and therefore most anxious about volunteering for. It’s not hard to see why XML seems daunting or confusing: the work is done by the editorial department, but it requires coding tags one would expect to see in the digital department, and the product is used exclusively by the design department. It’s easy to get lost in all of that. If the work requires coding, why isn’t it done in the digital department? If the product is only used by the design department, why don’t they do the work? To help clarify, here’s a crash course in XML.
Digital
Realizing You’re Part of the Problem: E-Waste
By Maegan O'Brion
The books I read for work and pleasure are almost always downloaded onto my phone either as EPUB files or as audiobooks. I carry almost no paper with me and feel righteous frustration when handed a paper syllabus. I feel virtuous for saving paper, but this issue might not actually be as cut and dry as we think.
Web vs. Digital: The Different Forms of Online Comics
By Sanjay Dharawat
While the first webcomics began popping up in the mid 1980s, the medium exploded in popularity starting in the mid-to-late 1990s. Numerous long-running series got their start around this time, many of which are still going strong over twenty years later.
Listen and Learn: How Audiobooks Helped Me Get through College
By Sydnee Chesley
I’ve known for a long time that I learn best through listening and through verbally discussing a topic. My favorite classes have always been the ones where the professor was a great orator, because it meant I could just sit back and absorb what they were lecturing on. All I ever needed to do was jot down some key words or phrases in my notes, and when I studied later the entire lesson would come flooding back. People thought I was crazy, but it worked for me.
Portfolio Tips for Beginners
By Kaitlin Barnes
Once upon a time, maintaining your portfolio meant taking hard copies to an interview or attaching them with your application. However, today most publishing employers prefer portfolio websites so they don’t have to worry about hanging on to (or worse, losing) the multitudes of work they receive from each candidate. But those of you who haven’t spent much time coding or building websites are likely wondering: Where do I begin? Well, look no further. Here are some tips to get you started.
Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Interactive Audiobooks
By Tia Hilts
I just discovered that there are choose-your-own-adventure interactive audiobooks! I’m not sure why I am just finding this out. I grew up in the eighties and nineties, and Choose Your Own Adventure books were as much a staple of my youth as big ratty bangs, too much blue eyeshadow, and oversized neon sweatshirts with shoulder pads.