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Show HN: Codecademy.com, the easiest way to learn to code

codecademy.com

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Re: Show HN: Codecademy.com, the easiest way to learn to code

#181

Post by MrKurtHaeusler »

dusklight wrote: post #164
aik wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it would be more beneficial to the authors if you explained why the tone is arrogant? Also, why do you assume the authors aren't qualified to teach -- why do you immediately assume them to be incompetent by noting the Dunner-Kruger effect (that sounds a bit arrogant to me?)? On the same note, what exactly do you believe makes someone qualified to teach? One more question -- what exactly is wrong with targetin…

It shouldn't be called codecadamey, it should be called javascriptkindergarten. I think it is arrogant because it is claiming to be teaching how to code, when it is not doing anything of the sort. I think it is supremely arrogant to not even mention that it is teaching javascript specifically, making it sound like you could learn how to code in general from the site, when it covers only the most basic of basic topics…

You have a point. But 90% of the lessons are relevant to any C-like language. It uses Javascript sure, but I think it does teach the beginnings of how to code.

Also I disagree on the last paragraph. The topics you mentioned are far less useful for learning to program than the material this tutorial covered. They are advanced topics, and only used in special situations.

Re: Show HN: Codecademy.com, the easiest way to learn to code

#183

Post by ludwigvan »

zds wrote: post #142
beefman wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Awesome, thanks! I've always thought the use of books to teach programming was a bit ironic, especially for interpreted languages. Back in the early '90s I had a book called Master C, which came with a floppy that ran a similar type of tutorial. http://www.amazon.com/Waite-Groups-Master-Book-Disks/dp/1878... Seems like a long gap between then and now. Also, please let me request a course on Clojure. That would rule!

one course on clojure, coming right up!

will you use clojurescript?

Re: Show HN: Codecademy.com, the easiest way to learn to code

#186

Post by dsawler »

astrofinch wrote: post #44

comparable to: http://eloquentjavascript.net/

Eloquent Javascript was painful for me. As a beginner, I had so much trouble understanding what was going on.

On the other hand, I've had a great experience with Codecademy, though I haven't spent a bunch of time with it yet.

Re: Show HN: Codecademy.com, the easiest way to learn to code

#188

Post by aik »

dusklight wrote: post #164
aik wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it would be more beneficial to the authors if you explained why the tone is arrogant? Also, why do you assume the authors aren't qualified to teach -- why do you immediately assume them to be incompetent by noting the Dunner-Kruger effect (that sounds a bit arrogant to me?)? On the same note, what exactly do you believe makes someone qualified to teach? One more question -- what exactly is wrong with targetin…

It shouldn't be called codecadamey, it should be called javascriptkindergarten. I think it is arrogant because it is claiming to be teaching how to code, when it is not doing anything of the sort. I think it is supremely arrogant to not even mention that it is teaching javascript specifically, making it sound like you could learn how to code in general from the site, when it covers only the most basic of basic topics…

Few things:

1. I think you have a good argument concerning how they may seem to be belittling the complexities of programming. Again, I'm interested in seeing where they will go from here... I believe they have a good (early) start, and I believe the worth of the site will be determined by how effectively it can teach anything beyond the very very beginner level.

2. The site just recently was made available -- it's clearly not 100% complete. HN has submissions of half-complete (or 3. How you suggest one would teach someone programming from scratch I think would work for very few people (though if done well, I have no doubt it would work for some). I think a majority of people you would try that strategy on, how I am perceiving it anyway, would lead to burn out and people end up hating programming before much time was up. In fact, I believe that approach is one taken so often in school, and look where it has brought us... a majority of people hate math, hate [insert random science subject], and hate [insert nearly any academic field sometimes even including the one they majored in]. How is it that we fail so horribly as to often cause such strong aversions to certain subjects, or rather what we believe are the subjects. I don't believe anyone truly hates math (or any academic subject), they just have a horribly skewed idea of what it is.

Re: Show HN: Codecademy.com, the easiest way to learn to code

#190

Post by davidivins »

FYI - found a bug: Yesterday I started doing some exercises, but I guess the site was getting hammered and some of them were never marked as completed. So today I finished the exercises and re-completed the ones that were never recorded as completed. Now I have two "Getting Started With Programming" badges and two "25 Exercises Completed" badges. Just wanted to let you know.
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