Resources for choosing the right online course or platform, plus certifications.
Tags: career, beginners, productivity, resources
Published: 2021-04-08 14:01:10

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title: Resources for choosing the right online course or platform, plus certifications. 
published: true
description: 
tags: #career #beginners #productivity #resources
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---
Here's our biweekly list of developer resources, articles, and news. 

## Dev Resources & Articles

[TypeScript 4.3 supports type specification for properties.](https://www.infoworld.com/article/3613942/typescript-43-supports-type-specification-for-properties.html) Now available in beta, the upgrade to Microsoft’s typed JavaScript also introduces an override keyword and improvements to template string types. [INFOWORLD]

[The pain points of C# source generators.](https://turnerj.com/blog/the-pain-points-of-csharp-source-generators) For those that are unaware, source generators are a new feature added to C# whereby one can analyse existing source code and generate new source code all from C# itself. [TURNERJ]

[Absolute start in machine learning.](https://www.hebergementwebs.com/news/absolute-start-in-machine-learning) A useful post to help you get started in machine learning. [HEBERGEMENTWEBS]

[The "Software Support" Economy.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkOFUk1b79U&ab_channel=ClementVouillon) [4 min video] Very interesting development on the software support economy. Infrastructure tools (email, marketing, accounting, CRM,etc) for SMBs are not just opening to developers. They are also opening to partners who will specialise in setting up those tools for small businesses. [CLEMENT.VOUILLON]

[IBM tries to tempt devs to eat its Qiskit, feeds them certification for quantum systems.](https://devclass.com/2021/03/29/ibm-claims-a-first-with-developer-certification-for-quantum-systems/) The IBM Quantum Developer Certification is a 60-question certification exam offered on the Pearson VUE computer-based test platform. Unsurprisingly, those who pass the exam will have demonstrated experience using IBM’s Qiskit to create and execute quantum code for IBM quantum computers and simulators. The exam is available globally, but currently appears to be available only in English. [DEVCLASS]

[How to choose the right online course or platform when you’re learning to code.](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/choosing-the-right-course-9ae77fd3504a/) What should a course include to ensure that your learning experience is optimal so that you both complete the course and successfully learn the content? Without such an evaluation, you may find yourself drifting from course to course in a perpetual state of confusion which brings about frustration, and may lead you to give up. [FREECODECAMP]

[For the first time in years, someone is building a web browser from scratch.](https://medium.com/fast-company/for-the-first-time-in-years-someone-is-building-a-web-browser-from-scratch-bfcd0f35d1ad) It’s one of the most daunting tasks in software. But by starting with a blank slate, Flow wants to make web browsing better on cheap hardware. [MEDIUM]

[Which AWS certification should you take first? The definitive answer.](https://www.thedevcoach.co.uk/which-aws-certification-first/) This article covers the certifications, their structure, and which certification to take first. [THEDEVCOACH]

[Two approaches to win an argument as a software engineer.](https://humanwhocodes.com/blog/2021/03/two-approaches-win-argument-software-engineer/) Here's how to get your point across effectively. [HUMANWHOCODES]

[Why are Java server-side developers not adopting Kotlin?](https://medium.com/google-developer-experts/why-are-java-server-side-developers-not-adopting-kotlin-8eb53e06ee99) [MEDIUM]

[Using a computer chair the right way.](https://npmawesome.com/posts/2021-04-07-using-a-computer-chair-the-right-way) What should you pay attention to? [NPMAWESOME]

[Arts and culture activities for your health and wellbeing.](https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/arts-culture/arts-and-culture-activities-your-health-and-wellbeing/) Like regular exercise or a good night’s sleep, the arts are proving important to our health and wellbeing. [BLOG.GOOGLE]

Like what you see? Sign up to our biweekly [newsletter](https://content.developereconomics.com/developer-economics-newsletter-signup-form). You could become a winner of a nice hoodie! 

## Industry News

[IBM creates a COBOL compiler – for Linux on x86.](https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/07/ibm_cobol_x86_linux/) Why is IBM bothering to offer a COBOL compiler for Linux on x86? Because IBM thinks you may want your COBOL apps in a hybrid cloud, albeit the kind of hybrid IBM fancies, which can mean a mix of z/OS, AIX, mainframes, POWER systems and actual public clouds. [THEREGISTER]

[Two hidden instructions discovered in intel CPUs enable microcode modification.](https://www.infoq.com/news/2021/04/intel-hidden-instructions/) The instructions can only be executed when the CPU runs in debug mode, which makes them not easily exploitable, though. Being able to modify a CPU's microcode means you can re-program its instructions to do whatever you want. Usually, modifying CPU microcode is necessary to fix vulnerabilities and other types of bugs, which requires the CPU architecture to provide a mechanism to do it. [INFOQ]

[Windows 10 version 21H1 is coming - here's what to expect.](https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-10-version-21h1-is-coming---heres-what-to-expect/) Spring is one of the two seasons of the year when Microsoft typically releases a new feature update for Windows 10, and that means we're due for another one soon. Microsoft has already been testing the next feature update - known as version 21H1 - for a while now, and it shouldn't be too long before it becomes publicly available. [NEOWIN]

[TypeScript 4.3 supports type specification for properties.](https://www.infoworld.com/article/3613942/typescript-43-supports-type-specification-for-properties.html) Now available in beta, the upgrade to Microsoft’s typed JavaScript also introduces an override keyword and improvements to template string types. [INFOWORLD]

[Google beats Oracle in biggest programming copyright Supreme Court case ever.](https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-beats-oracle-in-biggest-programming-copyright-supreme-court-case-ever/) Oracle had claimed that Google had illegally copied about 11,500 lines of Java code, which set out 37 separate APIs. According to Oracle, Google's APIs had violated Oracle Java copyright because they had duplicated Java APIs' "structure, sequence, and organization." Now, Google is free to use these Java APIs in Android. And, more importantly for the entire software development industry, companies will not be able to claim a hard copyright claim over APIs in general. [ZDNET]

[Better late than never: Hacker finds Easter Egg in Windows 95 Mail app.](https://mspoweruser.com/better-late-than-never-hacker-finds-easter-egg-in-windows-95-mail-app/) Windows enthusiast and reverse engineer Albacore has been looking at the innards of Windows 95 and has discovered a hereto unknown Easter Egg in the IE4 Internet Mail app. [MSPOWERUSER]

[Microsoft improves Windows Sandbox in latest Windows 10 build.](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-improves-windows-sandbox-in-latest-windows-10-build/) The Windows Sandbox and the Microsoft Defender Application Guard (WDAG) now launch faster in Windows 10 after installing the Insider Preview Build 21343 for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. "Starting with Build 21343, we are introducing a new runtime that is designed and optimized for container scenarios," Windows Insider Program senior program manager Brandon LeBlanc said. [BLEEPINGCOMPUTER]

[Microsoft launches apps bug bounty program.](https://www.i-programmer.info/news/149-security/14450-microsoft-launches-apps-bug-bounty-program.html) The overall program is the Microsoft Applications Bounty Program, and it has categories for a number of bugs, including a scenario-based bounty and a general bounty. teams The Scenario-Based Bounty is a program that has five: "scenario-based awards for vulnerabilities that have the highest potential impact on customer privacy and security". Rewards for these scenarios range from $6,000 to $30,000 USD. [IPROGRAMMER]

[WordPress to drop support for IE11 in upcoming 5.8 or 5.9 release.](https://wptavern.com/wordpress-to-drop-support-for-ie11-in-upcoming-5-8-or-5-9-release) In early March, WordPress contributors began discussing the possibility of dropping support for IE11 in the near future after usage fell below ~1%. This week, the discussion’s facilitator, Héctor Prieto, confirmed the majority of participants are in agreement to move forward and set a timeline for discontinuing support. Contributors are now considering either the 5.8. or 5.9 release. [WPTAVERN]

[Hackers backdoor PHP source code after breaching internal git server.](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/03/hackers-backdoor-php-source-code-after-breaching-internal-git-server/) In the aftermath of the compromise, PHP dev Nikita Popov said that PHP maintainers have concluded that their standalone Git infrastructure is an unnecessary security risk. As a result, they will discontinue the git.php.net server and make GitHub the official source for PHP repositories. Going forward, all PHP source code changes will be made directly to GitHub rather than to git.php.net. [ARSTECHNICA]

One of our community members, Deb, is working on an internal training course (Intro to SQL) and is creating a class on How to Troubleshoot. She could use help with common (and not so common) errors people see that tripped them up either when they were getting started or now. Besides "Google is Your Friend",  do you have any tips & tricks to pass along to starting SQL query writers? Share your tips on this [repo](https://github.com/DeveloperEconomics/sql-tips).