Javascript

I've been experimenting with Javascript these past few days. Using the ACM-provided subscription to Safari, I've been reading books on Javascript and going through the tutorials. The overview of browser internals from Dynamic HTML has been very helpful -- it provided a good mental map of the innards of the browser.

The tutorial exercises, so far, have been light. They are designed for people familiar with web pages but not coding. But I'm happy with the pace; I need to absorb/internalize the browser side of things.

While that's going on, I've been thinking about creating my own task for Javascript code. I work better with specific goals, and I used that technique to learn about PHP programming on the server side. My goal there was to provide statistics for source code.

I'm thinking of a list subscription web service, one that allows individuals to sign up for different lists. I had wanted this at UPS; it would have eliminated some administrative work for Worldship builds. The idea is this: System administrators create mailing lists and use them to send notices (for whatever events they want). Individuals sign up for mailing lists (subscribe) and unsubscribe as they want. A self-service mailing list, if you will. (I need a way to verify e-mail addresses; I can't allow Sam to sign up with Ryan's address.)