My inbox is still overflowing :). So I'm making this update to clear up some misconceptions and let you guys know how the process is coming, and how this whole site's going to work.

First, it seems like a lot of people have assumed they have to E-mail me or they won't be invited to the new site. Not true! I said in my last update that the site would be public. Whenever it's ready, I'll post another update here -- so keep checking back :)

The site will have a different name! As much as we all know and love Appulous, it's a scene site and, for the majority of people, is synonymous with iPhone piracy. As I've said before, this new site will have nothing to do with the scene or the iPhone at all (except maybe for making websites for that screen size), so I think it would be a good idea to start fresh.

I've already purchased the domain name so there's really no need to keep suggesting names to me :). Actually, I've purchased four... just in case I decide to expand in the future. There's still a lot of work to be done, though. As I'm typing this, I have Illustrator open on my other monitor to play around with some logo concepts. I still need to hook up the forum and write the interactive guide that will get you started, too. I'll tell you more about that in a second :)

So here's the most important thing you should know: This site is being started from scratch. When I say scratch, I mean I have no content to start it off with. Of the folks who E-mailed me and said they have little-to-no programming experience, many have assumed I'm going to have my own guides and tutorials and sit everyone down in a classroom setting to teach. But the site won't work that way, at least to start. I do not have full, all-inclusive guides for each of these languages already written and ready to go :)

Here's how this whole thing will work: When you come to the site and decide to make an account, you'll be thrown into my interactive guide. It'll ask you about your experience level, what kinds of things you want to make, and show you the parts of the forum you'll be most interested in. The new forum will NOT teach the programming basics that new programmers need to know-- BUT: what it WILL do is guide those brand-new programmers to some of the best tutorials I've found to learn those basics, and if you have trouble with them, THEN you're welcome to ask for help on the forum :). Once you have the basics down, that's where it gets fun.

I'll have forum sections for each web language we're focusing on, where everyone from beginners to experienced devs can talk about language-specific stuff. As we grow, we'll have more and more sections for advanced concepts. So veteran coders will have newbie-free zones to work with crazy complex code, and still be able to pop into the sections geared toward beginners to help out with their questions :).

But this isn't just about code. Websites have an art side. So there will be forum sections for vector-based logo design, website layout design, and graphic art. People who need a better grasp of Photoshop or Illustrator can pick up tips there, and coders who are hopeless with anything artistic can meet people who might want to provide the graphics for their next interactive site. I'm trying to cover all the bases of web development on this forum :).

The one thing I hate most about programming classes is that the end goal of them is just being able to say you know whatever programming language they taught. I hate that. That's like expecting people to run a marathon just because you're waiting at the finish line with some saltines and cheez whiz. That's not inspiring anyone. So I take a different approach.

When you come to the new site, come with a project. Screw learning just for the sake of learning. I want you to have something you actively WANT to make. Maybe it's your own blog software, or a web-based adventure game, or a graffiti wall that anyone can write on. Because when the endgame is having a real, unique website that you've always wanted instead of "lol hey guiz i think i kno thiz language now", not only is it holy-crap more rewarding, but it doesn't even feel like learning anymore. It's figuring out how to do exactly what you want, in the company of people who are excited as hell to watch you do it :)

And that's not just for the brand-new beginners. Everyone, even the people with programming experience, should come with a project they want to make. Hell, I am. I have an idea for this ridiculously advanced forum-type thing that I'm not even sure how I want to attack yet. No one's going to make any progress unless they have a reason for wanting to learn. And that is the entire concept behind this website :)

So I'm going to get back to work, and hopefully the programming newbies in the crowd feel a little bit better about how this is going to work for them :). I've been hearing from a lot of more advanced folk too -- people who want to talk about traffic efficiency and cryptography and custom protocols -- so I am reeling to get this off the ground. Keep checking back :)

--Kyek