Missing IMO the number one lesson all developers should learn:
Learn how to name things.
Lessons I've Learned as a 15 Year Old Web Developer
71–77 of 77 posts
Re: Lessons I've Learned as a 15 Year Old Web Developer
#72I know everybody's mileage varies, but these were some of my lowest priorities 20 years ago when I was a 15yo webdev. I wanted to have fun . I built for me. I explored the depths of the internet to get experience with what could be done, and pushed a few boundaries myself. I made games. I wrote appalling code but that didn't matter because I kept moving forward. I built communities around my interests. I just had fun…
Not just blog posts, but comments. I enjoy discussing stuff with others, but I hate seeing that number at the top of the page go up, because it goes to my head, and I can't stop checking it. Up- and down-votes are necessary for sorting and moderation purposes, but I wish it was less visible to me . There should be a "noscore" option on HN that hides the scores unless you view individual comments/posts, like "noprocas…
Yes, it's a very similar feeling, isn't it? Feedback loops and stimulus addiction are dark magic.
I haven't yet decided if it's absolutely unhealthy in the context of HN comments though. Just thinking aloud but I like to think that I've got something worthwhile to say if I get involved in a thread. That definitely wasn't the case on Digg or Slashdot way-back-when.
But if I'd comment less without the validation, perhaps they're not as worthwhile as I'd like to think and I'm just another karma-whore getting his fix.
Re: Lessons I've Learned as a 15 Year Old Web Developer
#73When 2020 started, I began to learn SEO and content marketing. I am currently working on helping bring commercial cleaning to the 21st century at getonedesk.com. On the side, I'm learning React Js at home while working on growing a loyal audience. Being a web developer is difficult, stressful, confusing, and exhausting. But, it's also very exciting, interesting, and meaningful. I've learned many lessons during my jou…
Nice! Cool to find another 15yr old webdev here even if we have different goals :)
Re: Lessons I've Learned as a 15 Year Old Web Developer
#74I wanted to see it from a 15 year old's perspective, not just some generic advice, especially given the title. Talk more about stuff that's unique to a teenage developer for more interesting content.
I was employed for SWE at 15 and worked at Shopify at 16 (legal working age in Canada is 14 for non-hazardous jobs). Here are some semi-serious thoughts; 1. Not being able to drink at company events :( Intern and team events are sometimes dinner, booze and music. My apple juice was pretty good, and if it when up the wrong pipe then I could get the burn too! (there was actually a time where I never experienced that an…
Hey! I know u from the gci chat :). To get those internships so early, did you simply apply and then prove your worth on the interview or did you know anyone there?
Any ways, congrats and good luck!
Re: Lessons I've Learned as a 15 Year Old Web Developer
#75Apologies for the animosity from this "community". Best of luck for your future Josh, I can't imagine what it would be like to have such technical experience and insight at such a young age.
The contrarian dynamic strikes again: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu... . Threads often get an initial wave of negative comments, followed by a second wave of objections to the objections. What determines the initial wave of comments is not community opinion—rather, it's what's the easiest thing to make reflexive objections to. Those comments are the first to show up because those reflex…
Your comments about the dynamics of HN are always fascinating.
Re: Lessons I've Learned as a 15 Year Old Web Developer
#76I am all for learning by doing and being young doesn't mean that you can't be a very capable programmer. You don't necessarily need a degree and some of the best programmers I know have skipped schools and went directly into the work life. So please believe me when I say that your method of working is not wrong.
I do however find the blog post a bit silly, because I'm pretty sceptical if you actually know what you talk about. I'm currently not even 30 and I've gone through two burnouts and I promise you that the issue isn't with not walking around the office every once in a while. I seriously doubt that you have experienced a burnout especially considering that you're not really even alle to bill for customer work due to your age.
Same goes for working with a team and resolving conflicts. The way you talk about the issues make it very clear that you do not have any real world experience in those matters.
I don't want to be dismissive and I know that this sounds likenit though. It's alright to write about your thoughts on issues, but you also need to realize that due to your age and lack of experience, you're not really in a place to give anyone advice on the matters.
So to be brutal, I don't think you should've posted this as in my opinion it shows immaturity on your part which invalidates a lot of what you're writing about. It's a long road you've got ahead of yourself and I hope you find the introspection within to see what I'm trying to convey.
Good luck!
Re: Lessons I've Learned as a 15 Year Old Web Developer
#77It's really awesome you're making stuff online so early in your life. Keep going and you will be way more successful than most of us. If I may, I'd like to offer some constructive criticism, however. The tone of your posts is a bit instructional (self-help-esque) and comes across as marketing. This is why some people are being dismissive of your writing. I'd consider softening up the tone to be more personal and auth…
Why, is there a threshold of making stuff that once you cross you are "more successful than most of us"?
I can't speak definitively to numbers and can't judge success in any sort of quantitative way, so take that comment with a grain of salt. But I can say starting programming early in life is definitely a big leg up on others in the field.