January 2021 Summaries

Paul Scanlon's project, BumHub, was part of the Silly Site Challenge, using Gatsby's File System Route API to create a playful and unconventional website that explores GitHub repositories containing the word "bum." He aimed to demonstrate the flexibility of Gatsby beyond traditional blogging by integrating GitHub API data and creatively using the Routes API to dynamically generate pages. The site featured additional functionalities like a search table and illustrated elements to present a humorous take on content management and development. By building BumHub, Scanlon sought to raise awareness of Gatsby's capabilities, showcase his technical skills, and inject a sense of fun into his work, culminating in the creation of interactive features such as the BumBum Maker. The project, developed in public, highlighted both the capabilities of Gatsby and Scanlon's innovative approach to web development.

The 2020 Gatsby Silly Site Challenge encouraged developers worldwide to unleash their creativity by building whimsical and humorous websites using Gatsby, resulting in an impressive array of over 134 submitted projects. The competition celebrated the playful side of coding, showcasing projects with imaginative themes ranging from gaming apps to animations and more. The overall winner, "BumHub," was a standout for its clever use of GitHub repos with the word "bum" and its creative features, including an advent calendar and a bum-themed UI library. Other notable entries included "Silence of the Jams," a jam-themed card game, and "Gatsby Dialup," a nostalgic nod to the early internet. The challenge highlighted the inventive spirit of developers and affirmed Gatsby's goal of making web development accessible and fun. The event was deemed a success, with plans to continue the tradition in subsequent years, and participants were rewarded with unique prizes and the joy of contributing to an open, independent, and quirky web environment.

In the second phase of the #100DaysOfGatsby coding challenge, participants, taking on the role of the character "Dev," are tasked with launching the website for a fictional startup, AudioC0RE, using Gatsby. The goal is to achieve high Lighthouse scores in areas such as Performance, SEO, Accessibility, and Best Practices, with the hope of attracting attention from Google's Developer Relations team. To accomplish this, developers must utilize the Chakra UI component library for site design, create a contact page with Formium, and deploy the site using a CDN while continually assessing Lighthouse scores. Key technical requirements include optimizing images with Gatsby's new plugin, replacing React with Preact, and implementing Progressive Web App capabilities to ensure offline functionality. Participants have three weeks to complete these tasks, and are encouraged to engage with the Gatsby community for support and guidance throughout the process.

GatsbyConf, a highly anticipated event by the Gatsby team, is set to take place in March, with registration now open for attendees to sign up for free. The Call for Presenters (CFP) deadline has been extended by a week to January 22nd, encouraging potential speakers to submit their proposals. The Gatsby team, eager to provide valuable updates and insights, invites participants to stay informed through the GatsbyConf website and social media, creating a sense of excitement and community around the event. With the conference offering a bright spot on the calendar, attendees are urged to register, consider submitting talks, and engage with the event's online presence.

Shanese Black shares her journey to becoming a software engineer in the "Voices of Gatsby" series, highlighting her passion for design and programming. Initially unaware of software engineering as a career path, she discovered it through job postings while in college, despite pursuing a graphic design degree. Her early exposure to web development and programming at a high school in North Carolina laid the foundation for her interest in tech. After obtaining two associate degrees, she founded a design firm to merge her coding and design skills, later pursuing a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design at North Carolina A&T State University. Despite her educational achievements, she realized practical experience was crucial and enrolled in the rigorous Coder Foundry bootcamp, which provided hands-on learning and project development. This experience not only honed her technical skills but also emphasized critical thinking, problem-solving, and project management. Black now envisions a fulfilling career as a software engineer, continuously learning and aspiring to mentor others, driven by gratitude for her educational journey and the supportive influences she encountered.