I only ask because if you just want to program, there's intro_to_cs, but it's in Python (which I kinda am partial to, to be honest), which would only gird you in a theoretical way for Dreamwidth coding.
And yes, you can TOTALLY join the programming side of Dreamwidth! It is okay to try things and fail at them; we aren't going to point and laugh at you or think you are a loser.
The Perl book we link newbs to is Picking Up Perl, because it's free and available. There's also O'Reilly's Learning Perl, if you can find it at your local library or want to get a book, but you don't have to. You could probably get an older edition for really cheap used. There is also this resource.
As for getting started on DW dev, first, you are going to want to get a Dreamhack and go over Dreamhack getting started. A Dreamhack is an installation of Dreamwidth that is your own sandbox to work in, so you don't have to try and manage it on your own (it can be frustrating and take resources you might not have, although you are welcome to try if you wish!) You are also going to want to sign up for an account at our Bugzilla, which is where we keep all of the tickets.
Then, you'll want to ask the devs for a "baby bug", which are bugs we give to new people! This bug may actually not involve Perl coding--some are HTML/CSS, some involve a system called BML or the translation system, some are Javascript, some are for the S2 style system! But, the people who suggests it to you will be able to guide you on how to go about it. I could give you one here, but it might be better to make a post about it in dw_dev_training or go onto IRC and ask in #dreamwidth-dev. The Dreamwidth channels are very, very effective teaching places where you can often receive instruction in real time (schedules permitting), but dw_dev_training will work, too.
Then, once you have a bug, you can assign it to yourself people will walk you through the process of submitting a patch. This process can be repeated until you become more and more confident about finding your own bugs you want to do and patching them!
no subject
And yes, you can TOTALLY join the programming side of Dreamwidth! It is okay to try things and fail at them; we aren't going to point and laugh at you or think you are a loser.
The Perl book we link newbs to is Picking Up Perl, because it's free and available. There's also O'Reilly's Learning Perl, if you can find it at your local library or want to get a book, but you don't have to. You could probably get an older edition for really cheap used. There is also this resource.
As for getting started on DW dev, first, you are going to want to get a Dreamhack and go over Dreamhack getting started. A Dreamhack is an installation of Dreamwidth that is your own sandbox to work in, so you don't have to try and manage it on your own (it can be frustrating and take resources you might not have, although you are welcome to try if you wish!) You are also going to want to sign up for an account at our Bugzilla, which is where we keep all of the tickets.
Then, you'll want to ask the devs for a "baby bug", which are bugs we give to new people! This bug may actually not involve Perl coding--some are HTML/CSS, some involve a system called BML or the translation system, some are Javascript, some are for the S2 style system! But, the people who suggests it to you will be able to guide you on how to go about it. I could give you one here, but it might be better to make a post about it in
Then, once you have a bug, you can assign it to yourself people will walk you through the process of submitting a patch. This process can be repeated until you become more and more confident about finding your own bugs you want to do and patching them!