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Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

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Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#31

Post by speedgoose »

thatcodingdude wrote: post #24
qzw wrote: post #22

Learn C. Then maybe one of the newer systems languages like rust, zig, D, nim, etc. If you’re bored with CRUD, there’s a whole other (bigger) world to explore when you get a little closer to the metal. It’s tremendously empowering and fun as hell to get you’re hands dirty a bit, so to speak. You’ll also become a better and more employable programmer as a nice side effect.

C or C++ ? Thought about it, at the very least it would make me a bit more well-rounded.

You should learn C. Life is too short to struggle with C++ now that we have better alternatives such as Rust.

You can also ignore the people who ignore the complexity of web apps. Classic C programs are very often much simpler than full web apps IMHO.

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#33

Post by semicolonandson »

I'm not sure if this scratches an itch for you, but I would learn more about business via the route of launching a small side-hustle. By having skin in the game, you'll learn a lot about product trade-offs, marketing, selling, etc.

In the best case, you get a profitable side hustle going for yourself (and increase your financial independence). Worst case, you go to your next programming job with a ton of extra skills and insights that have excellent commercial value in the workplace.

I recorded a few videos showing the big picture of my first side hustle (code + marketing) and these might make it concrete and real for you: https://www.semicolonandsons.com/episode/Bird's-Eye-View-of-...

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#34

Post by _benj »

I'm a self-taught webdev too and I would strongly recommend learning SQL, not just `SELECT * ...` but really learning it!

I've been digging into postgreSQL and in quite a few applications it's possible to greatly reduce the complexity of the backend by receiving exactly the data you need from the DB. It is so much so that in cases you can even "get rid" of the backend completely (yes, no writing controllers and endpoint, etc.) by using a tool like postgREST (postgres to REST) or Hasura (postgres to graphQL)

Best of luck on your search!

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#35

Post by haspok »

How about getting back to the basics? You know, taking some maths classes, CS fundamentals, algorithms, data structures, that kind of stuff. It is timeless, and if you are self-taught, I can guarantee you that you have massive holes in your knowledge.

Also, might sound off topic, but learning a new language (not programming, human) could be an amazing step forward, in ways you cannot even imagine now.

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#36

Post by frequentnapper »

thatcodingdude wrote: post #19
slowwriter wrote: post #10

I’m also a mostly self-taught freelance webdev, and recently I’ve been learning about Rust which I’ve found to be very interesting.

What kind of projects are you taking on with Rust ?

not op, but there was a post today about how to build single page apps using Rust on the front page: http://www.sheshbabu.com/posts/rust-wasm-yew-single-page-app...

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#37

Post by thatcodingdude »

_benj wrote: post #34

I'm a self-taught webdev too and I would strongly recommend learning SQL, not just `SELECT * ...` but really learning it! I've been digging into postgreSQL and in quite a few applications it's possible to greatly reduce the complexity of the backend by receiving exactly the data you need from the DB. It is so much so that in cases you can even "get rid" of the backend completely (yes, no writing controllers and endpo…

SQL made the cut on my learning list !

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#38

Post by thatcodingdude »

haspok wrote: post #35

How about getting back to the basics? You know, taking some maths classes, CS fundamentals, algorithms, data structures, that kind of stuff. It is timeless, and if you are self-taught, I can guarantee you that you have massive holes in your knowledge. Also, might sound off topic, but learning a new language (not programming, human) could be an amazing step forward, in ways you cannot even imagine now.

Yeah, found out about https://teachyourselfcs.com/ which seems decent enough, it's about time to learn this stuff.

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#39

Post by thatcodingdude »

speedgoose wrote: post #31
thatcodingdude wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

C or C++ ? Thought about it, at the very least it would make me a bit more well-rounded.

You should learn C. Life is too short to struggle with C++ now that we have better alternatives such as Rust. You can also ignore the people who ignore the complexity of web apps. Classic C programs are very often much simpler than full web apps IMHO.

C it is then. Thanks for your input.
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