who only by moving can balance

Okay! First up, over in dw_dev_training I keep a masterlist of easy bugs (many of them one-line fixes, so you can get your hand in on dealing with Github and the Dreamwidth codebase). The Dev Getting Started wiki page has step-by-steps for several things and lots of useful links, but is probably a bit overwhelming to begin with (it is Known to need redrafting, augh) -- but IRC is always full of helpful friendly people, so.

Oooh, go you!

The way I started with Javascript was actually the Coursera Computer Science 101 course, for what it's worth, which stood me in really good stead when it came to getting my head around similar languages (i.e. having that much JS under my belt meant I could read Perl at least a bit).

In terms of learning your way around Github and your Dreamhack, given what you say about CSS & HTML, I think the three one-liners I'd pull out from the masterlist for you to choose between would be:

• Bug 5217 involves going through DW's styles and checking the CSS to see whether a particular line exists. If it doesn't, you add it. This is very much learning-your-way-around with some honestly kinda tedious repetitive work, but it does at least mean that you can't make anything exciting and incomprehensible go wrong! (Unless you're me.)
  
• Bug 5240 is another case of removing a bit of text from several styles, much like 5217.

If you'd like me to make a decision for you (because I know that three can still be decision paralysis!), I'd probably pick 5217, because it will take the least exploring and double-checking (which I have been known to find nerve-wracking, so). I'm aware that these are bugs which don't do much to introduce you to JS/Perl, and you absolutely don't have to start on things not-in-those-languages (or learn JS elsewhere first!), so let me know if these aren't up your alley & I'll pick out a different selection.

I'm around on IM (kaberett at gmail dot com) and also in Freenode IRC (I can explain how to do that if you would like me to!)

You can absolutely do this ♥

I think I have added you on gchat but will expect you to continue being run off your feet for the next week. No rush!

thank youuuu :D

[I see this and am attempting to brain.]

Hmm. So it's not actually unusual for lines of text to need changing, without particularly touching the code, while still having you *see* code and learn your way around some of the codebase/tools we use/etc (but it's still an actual honest-to-goodness bugfix!). If you think that would be a useful stepping stone, I can keep an eye out for that sort of thing for you?

Right, I will try to remember to PM y'all when these come up :-)