Page 28
Call Sign February 2012
DaC's Network Administrator, Jon Winterburn, puts his computer
This month I thought I'd take a break from rav-
ing on about one of my favourite hobbies, gam-
games away for this month and takes a look at computer program-
ing, and look instead at another of my hobbies
Coding: The New Latin...
ming otherwise known as coding. 290,697 people have already
- which is also part of my job at Dial-a-Cab - cod-
decided to learn to code in 2012. So why not you???
ing. Coding (or computer programming) is the
art of creating software or games using any one
of a variety of computer languages.
Unfortunately, for a long time, coding has been
shrouded in mystery for the majority of people
year. Sporting a clean, easy to use interface, you
and is considered the realm of the elite few.
work through interactive, bite-sized exercises
In recent months, coding has been brought
which teach you the basics of 3 of the easiest
to the limelight by several different sources,
languages: JavaScript, Python and Ruby. You
including members of the government.
gain points, awards and badges as you work
Computer Science is barely taught in schools in
your way through the exercises, which is a
this country; instead, schools have been duped
great encouragement.
into thinking that teaching children how to use
The next resource is designed primarily for
proprietary office software (Microsoft Office)
children but of course is suitable for anyone
provides enough computer skills for the next
wanting to learn to program. The language of
generation. This is scandalous, because whilst
choice is Ruby (an object-orientated open-
our economy will always need administrators
source language developed in Japan by some-
and clerical workers, we also need software
one who wanted to provide people with an
developers, computer engineers and video
easier, more human-understandable language).
game designers.
The colourful and fun website www.kidsru-
You and your children can learn to code
Thankfully, the government, private sector
by.com provides kids and parents with free
of bread from the bag, use a knife to spread the
and community in general are finally getting this
software that'll have your little ones building
peanut butter evenly, push the two bits of
message across to the population: the future of
computer games in Ruby in no time at all.
bread together and put it on a plate. Simple!
Britain in the global digital age is reliant on the
Building computer games is a great and excit-
Now imagine telling a computer how to do
next generation being tech-savvy.
ing way for children to put to use the maths
If this article interests you, I hope to be able
this using any programming language. You'd
and science they learn in school and they learn
to help you unravel the mysteries of coding
have to give instructions like so:"Bread is avail-
to program without realising it!
and give yourself, your children and grand-chil-
able in the bread bin, which is in the kitchen on
The next resource is www.hackety.com
dren a head-start in not just understanding
the worktop. Take out two slices a slice is
another colourful and fun website which helps
how computers work, but how to make them
approximately 150mm x 150mm. Lay both
absolute beginners and kids learn to program
do what you want them to do. There are a
slices flat on the worktop and obtain a bread
quickly, also in Ruby. You can quickly develop
number of free, user-friendly resources, cours-
knife from the drawer. This will be in the left
graphical interfaces and several lessons and
es and tools now available to allow anyone
hand compartment. You will need to hold the
example programs are provided, showing you
from 6 to 60 become an accomplished pro-
knife by the handle. Now obtain the peanut
how to make all kinds of fun things!
grammer with little or no former experience!
butter jar from the cupboard..." and so on! As
One more similar resource is the website
you can see, this is a far more lengthy process
Before I list these, let me clarify something
http://scratch.mit.edu a kid-friendly website
because the computer really has no intelli-
about coding. Learning to program is not hard.
which provides free software and starter kits
gence. However, you do have intelligence and
There, I said it! It really isn't hard to learn. What
that'll get your kids developing in a simple pro-
you can utilise your vastly superior intelligence
is difficult is mastering it. Just like almost
gramming language called Scratch (designed
to instruct the computer to do what you want
everything else in life, learning to program is
by MIT).
it to do. Remember, the computer is the slave
easy to learn. Admittedly, mastering a program-
Of course there are far more resources and
and you are its master not the other way
ming language takes a lot of hard work as well
programming languages out there which you
round!
as much trial and error. But there is a lot of free
can easily find through Google. However, if
So, on to the resources. The first resource is
support out there on the Internet and the ben-
you're an absolute beginner or want to get your
one I've been working through with my son.
efits are rewarding. If you think computers are
kids interested in coding, then the above web-
The website www.codecademy.com has been
too clever for you to ever be able to program
sites are a great starting point.
set up in conjunction with the Code Year pro-
them, you're wrong. Computers are stupid!
Happy coding!
gram (www.codeyear.com) started on 1st
Think about it. If you'd never made a peanut
Jon Winterburn
January this year with the intention of helping
butter sandwich and I asked you to make me
DaC Network Administrator
you become a programming ninja within the
one, I'd give you instructions like get two slices
DRIVERS E-STATEMENTS
As part of the on-going development of Dial-a-Cab's infrastructure, our IT department have developed a
procedure whereby we will no longer require the services of Swiss Post for implementing drivers E-
Statements.
As a result, from 1 March 2012 drivers will no longer need to login to Swiss Post via the Dial-a-Cab web-
site, instead you will receive a PDF file directly to your inbox from Dial-a-Cab. In order for this new proce-
dure to run smoothly, we will require you to confirm your email address as previously this information was
held by Swiss Post and may possibly have changed since you first enrolled into the service. However, you
will still be able to access past statements from Swiss Post in the normal way for the foreseeable future.
I would be grateful if you could send an email to driverservices@dialacab.co.uk inserting your Badge
Number and Call Sign in the subject field. This should only take a few minutes of your time, but the
information is vital to ensure you receive your E-Statement on time.
Our thanks for your cooperation in this matter...
Warren Smith
DaC Financial Controller
