Ethereum and Solidity: The Complete Developer's Guide

Smart Contracts? They're here.  The Ethereum Blockchain?  Covered.  Solidity?  Yep!

There can be no understating it: Ethereum and Blockchain technology is the most disruptive force in years.  Companies cannot hire developers who understand blockchain technologies fast enough, but there are a tiny number of resources published to help you truly understand what blockchains are used for, let alone build apps with them.  That's the purpose of this course: to be the best resource online for learning about Ethereum, blockchains, and how to build apps with this new technology.

The development community is still figuring out the best way to use Ethereum in the creation of new and exciting apps.  I spent a tremendous amount of time to research and create best practice for interfacing with Ethereum from Javascript.  I can't overstate it enough; this course will show you the best and most easily repeatable patterns for creating production-ready apps with Ethereum.

What tools and libraries are used?

The Ethereum tech ecosystem is in constant change.  Don't be fooled by other courses that mention how you'll learn a dozen different libraries!  Every library that you'll use with Ethereum breaks and is deprecated on a near-weekly basis!  Instead, this course will teach you how to assemble your own boilerplate package to develop, compile, and test Smart Contracts.  By learning the core technologies, you'll be prepared to adjust to Ethereum no matter how the ecosystem changes.

What is Ethereum?

Ethereum is a cryptocurrency much like Bitcoin, and it has been heralded as Bitcoins successor.  Whereas Bitcoin currently has issues scaling with an increasing backlog of transactions, Ethereum is poised to surpass Bitcoin in performance, popularity, and value.  Ethereum was created to help developers like you create applications focused around transferring money or value from one party to another.

What is Solidity?

Solidity is a programming language for writing Smart Contracts.  Essentially, think of it as a way to control a bank account with code.  With Solidity, we can write applications that simulate a crowd funding campaign, a lottery, a loan, or any other type of financial instrument.  Don't be intimidated by learning 'another' programming language; Solidity is known to be quite similar to Javascript and exceptionally easy to pick up for anyone who has previous JS experience.  This course will give you all the tools you need to master Solidity.

Based on the feedback provided, here's a summary of the sentiments and suggestions regarding Stephen Grider's Ethereum and Solidity Full Stack Development Course on Udemy: **Positives:** 1. **Comprehensive Content:** The course is praised for its thorough coverage of Ethereum development topics, providing both theoretical and practical knowledge. 2. **Teaching Style:** Stephen Grider's teaching style is often found to be clear, informative, and engaging, with many learners appreciating his explanations. 3. **Hands-On Learning:** The course encourages active learning by having students write code, which helps in understanding the concepts better. 4. **Overall Experience:** Many learners report a positive overall experience, feeling that they have gained solid working knowledge and real-world experience. 5. **Supporting Resources:** Learners appreciate the additional resources such as the Q&A section where issues are often addressed. **Areas for Improvement:** 1. **Updates Needed:** A common complaint is that the course material is outdated, particularly with Solidity and Ethereum updates. There is a strong request for the course to be updated to reflect recent changes in the technology, such as the move from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS). 2. **Version Compatibility:** Some learners have encountered issues due to compatibility with the versions used in the course and the ones currently in use. 3. **Teaching of React Components:** There is a desire for the course to use more modern React techniques, specifically converting class components to functional components, which are now more commonly used in React development. 4. **Pacing and Structure:** Some feedback suggests that the course could be improved by better structuring the content, possibly starting with more basic topics before diving into complex ones. 5. **Instructor Responsiveness:** A few learners have mentioned that reaching out to the instructor for assistance has not resulted in timely responses, which can hinder progress through the course. 6. **Accessibility of Content:** There is a need for clear indications of when the course content was last updated and possibly warnings about the rapid evolution of blockchain technology. 7. **Code Examples:** Some learners have mentioned that the code examples may need updates to reflect current best practices. **Additional Feedback:** - **Prerequisites:** Learners are advised to have a basic understanding of JavaScript, ReactJS, HTML, and CSS before starting the course. - **Community Support:** The community support within the course's discussion forums is generally positive, with learners finding answers to their questions without direct instructor interaction. - **Completion Rate:** Some learners report reaching a point where they cannot progress without updating certain parts of their code, indicating that the course should be used as a starting point and supplemented with current practices. **Overall Recommendation:** The course is highly regarded for its educational value, but potential students should be aware that the technology covered is evolving rapidly. It's recommended to complement this course with up-to-date resources and possibly reach out to the community or other learning platforms for the latest information and practices in Solidity and Ethereum development.