Starting Free JavaScript Live Streams

I've wanted to open the JavaScript Level 1 to the public for a while but I wasn't sure how to do it. You see, I was trying to be fancy with how I priced my course with tiers and all the things people recommend when selling things online. In that pricing model if I release a module for free, then what's the point of the lowest $59 tier?

A friend of mine needed to upgrade his skills after a long break from programming and I recommended he simply go through my JavaScript module. He managed to complete the whole module in a few days, and said it taught him everything he needs to get going doing JavaScript. This got me thinking: If that one module helped him so quickly then there's a good chance it'd help a lot more people who will probably be looking for work this year after mass layoffs.

I'm also really enjoying live streaming but Paypal has banned people from doing live streams on their own sites. If you think this makes Paypal awful then you should look at the TOS for your favorite payment processor. All payment processors are doing this or something similar as a means to fight all the "money laundering" and "terrorism" that Onlyfans Cam Girls are doing. That means if I want to stream again, I have to stream on Twitch or Youtube until Paypal gives me permission.

With all this in mind I've decided to do the following:

1. I'm making the entire 17 module planned curriculum available for one simple $59 price. That's it. No more tiers. I've got too much ADHD to deal with that complexity. If you bought it at any time for any price to this point then you get everything I make for the JavaScript course.
2. I've opened up the JavaScript Level 1 to be free to read. If you want to learn to code then this is my best beginner content thus far, and it's free to read.
3. I'll start streaming teaching everyone to get through this module. I'm aiming these streams at beginners, since they'll most likely need the most help. I think pros can drop in to ask questions if they're stuck on something.

Let's walk through each point:

One Flat Price

When I started working on Learn JS the Hard Way I tried to make it an example of the kind of business I'd teach people to run. That included all of the usual "recommendations" you get from startup Entrepreneurs, but this tweet mostly summarizes most advice about running an online business:

Managing multiple prices adds a lot of complexity that a solo founder simply can't handle, and there's plenty of businesses that don't do this yet are wildly successful. Since I have too much to do already I'm going to just make everything one price of $59 and keep it at that. All the modules planned in the curriculum list will be the same price, no matter when you bought it or how much you bought it for. Hopefully that simplifies things for everyone.

JavaScript Level 1 is Free to Read

Now that current customers are getting all of the modules for one price I can open up one module as a free sample for people. It's free to read, which means you can read it and learn JavaScript for free. If you want help with additional videos, discord help from me, and learn full stack development then you can buy the whole course for one $59 price. The JavaScript Level 1 module takes you through all of the topics I've found you need to get started with JavaScript. If you're a pro who needs to update their skills after (or before) a layoff then you could probably blaze through it and be ready to use JavaScript. If you're a beginner then it is written for beginners in mind and uses my classic "Hard Way" style that assumes you know nothing.

One reason I want to open this content up is to get feedback from people, so if you go through it and you have trouble, find errors, or have suggestions then you can email me at help@learnjsthehardway.com. I'll be setting up a bug tracker for the project soon but until then contact me there.

Here's the list of topics covered in the free module:

• 00: Gearing Up
• 01: A First Program
• 02: Comments
• 03: Simple Math and Strings
• 04: Variables
• 05: Constants
• 06: Escape Sequences
• 07: Prompting Input
• 08: Command Line Arguments
• 09: Files
• 10: Files, Args, and Variables
• 11: Functions
• 12: Functions, Files, Variables
• 13: Modules
• 14: True and False Tests
• 15: If and Else
• 16: While Loops
• 17: Sequences and For Loops
• 18: More Arrays
• 19: Data Objects
• 20: First Game
• 21: Simple OOP
• 22: More Complex OOP
• 23: Inheritance
• 24: OOP Game
• 25: Functions and Recursion
• 26: Transforming Data
• 27: Applying Functions
• 28: Scope and Closures
• 29: Partial Application
• 30: Callbacks, Events, Promises and Async
• 31: Modules and import

I'll also be adding 2 lessons soon that cover recent additions to JavaScript.

Live Streaming JavaScript Level 1

I've been enjoying streaming Video Games on Twitch @zedashaw and I want to start writing software using Twitch's API. But, I also need to learn how to use Youtube and its API so I'm going to stream the JavaScript streams to my Youtube Channel @learncodethehardwayofficial. I'll need to work out exactly how this is done, as I'm not familiar with Youtube's streaming system. I'll do some test streams to Youtube during this next week before starting the first classes on Monday March 27th. You should subscribe to the channel to get notifications when I stream.

The goal of these streams is to get as many people through the module as possible. The streams will be aimed at beginners primarily since they will most likely need more guidance than professionals. The way the streams will work is:

1. We'll do streams for 1-2 hours on Mon, Wed, and Fri at possibly 3pm EST but I'll have to talk to people to find the sweet spot.
2. The stream will be kept on Youtube so if you miss it live you can come watch later.
3. We'll probably do 5-10 exercises a session, and the discussion will be aimed at beginners. Pros can show up to ask questions and watch as well, but just keep in mind it might be boring for you if you're a professional.
4. It's not expected that a beginner would understand all 31 exercises in a week or two, but rather they'll get a crash course that gets them started so they can attempt it again at their own pace.
5. After I go through one cycle, I'll update the content based on student feedback, and then repeat it again from exercise 1.
6. This means, if you got lost at exercise 10 then you can watch the remaining streams to see what's going to happen, then come back next week to try it again. The idea is each time you start over you should get farther in the module until you've finally completed it.

This is the plan so far, with the possibility of adding in a few entertaining streams at other times. If you've wanted to learn to code but not sure how to start then come watch.

See you soon.