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The wrong question: “I want to learn to code, what should I do?”

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Re: The wrong question: “I want to learn to code, what should I do?”

#41

Post by klaut »

mscarborough wrote: post #24
spacemanaki wrote: post #9

I think the assumption here is that if someone asks you, “I want to learn to code, what should I do?” they know you already, since if they were asking the anonymous internet hordes, they're already basically doing what this post suggests. If you ask someone you know for advice, you aren't going to get the same thing you get if you ask Google, and you aren't even necessarily looking for the same thing. I was in exactl…

Exactly. This is the worst advice I have seen on entering coding, maybe ever: The answer to every question is out there. Engineers know that better than anyone. Even the best engineers ask Google questions all the time. The biggest difference between you and an engineer is the mindset. After you have the right mindset, here is how the execution will go: You start asking Google questions, which leads you to all sorts…

well, but i can see the point of the author. and this is the way i learned everything i know. perhaps is not suitable for everyone.

Re: The wrong question: “I want to learn to code, what should I do?”

#43

Post by perlpimp »

spacemanaki wrote: post #9

I think the assumption here is that if someone asks you, “I want to learn to code, what should I do?” they know you already, since if they were asking the anonymous internet hordes, they're already basically doing what this post suggests. If you ask someone you know for advice, you aren't going to get the same thing you get if you ask Google, and you aren't even necessarily looking for the same thing. I was in exactl…

It is a question of character and what the person wants to get out of next learned language. Sometimes people want to impress peers, get a raise - reasons can be many. Honesty is important factor here. Sometimes there's the superior coder in the peer group, it may worth the time to ask him/her whatever is the neat language to learn, so in process there is someone to discuss peculiar bits of whatever the person is learning.

Be honest why you want to get out of it make a plan/schedule for achievables, get focused and get started! =)

Re: The wrong question: “I want to learn to code, what should I do?”

#44

Post by rimantas »

Am I alone thinking that person asking this question may be not exactly the coder material?

I've learnt to program long before Google existed and I never had this question. I was just learning, whenever I had a chance: reading articles, buying books.

Re: The wrong question: “I want to learn to code, what should I do?”

#45

Post by Greedy_Fools »

mscarborough wrote: post #24
spacemanaki wrote: post #9

I think the assumption here is that if someone asks you, “I want to learn to code, what should I do?” they know you already, since if they were asking the anonymous internet hordes, they're already basically doing what this post suggests. If you ask someone you know for advice, you aren't going to get the same thing you get if you ask Google, and you aren't even necessarily looking for the same thing. I was in exactl…

Exactly. This is the worst advice I have seen on entering coding, maybe ever: The answer to every question is out there. Engineers know that better than anyone. Even the best engineers ask Google questions all the time. The biggest difference between you and an engineer is the mindset. After you have the right mindset, here is how the execution will go: You start asking Google questions, which leads you to all sorts…

You simply miss the point.

Re: The wrong question: “I want to learn to code, what should I do?”

#46

Post by c4m »

Actually, I think that is the perfect question to ask. Knowing what you want to learn about is a huge step in the right direction.

The author presumes that everyone interested in coding should have a high level of confidence already. I disagree, and feel that if someone wants to learn about a subject, asking questions about that subject is exactly what they should be doing.

Re: The wrong question: “I want to learn to code, what should I do?”

#47

Post by niels_olson »

jseliger wrote: post #30
niels_olson wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> don't just point them at Google. Tell them YOUR story ... and .. what YOU would do differently ... > Use your friends These are good bits of advice. I would also encourage folks here to realize just how far programming is from what most people do all day. When you live in Windows XP all day, grew up with Windows, and spend your time talking with people about, in my case, medicine, and family in the evenings, progra…

> don't just point them at Google. Tell them YOUR story ... and .. what YOU would do differently ... > Use your friends These are good bits of advice. I would also encourage folks here to realize just how far programming is from what most people do all day. It's interesting for me to read this thread because you could find/replace programming insert any number of other activities, like writing (the one I'm closest to…

I feel I routinely go the extra mile to make friends who know what I'm interested in. I go to meetups, I moved to a city where there are a lot of hackers, I participate in forums like this. I've kept myself engaged in the few software-related projects I've had to opportunity to be involved in, and those are some of my closest friends. I try to ask good questions. But there are no programmers in either of the buildings I work in. I couldn't make lunch buddies or work-out buddies with a hacker if I tried. Dentist? Doctor? Sure. Hacker, not so much. Don't get me wrong, I've got great work-out buddies, and by the Stallman definition, they're hackers, but not the computational sort.

Re: The wrong question: “I want to learn to code, what should I do?”

#48

Post by snoozer »

> If you want to learn to code and build stuff and you’re starting by asking someone else what you should do, you’re already thinking about it the wrong way.

If someone asks for help and this is the first thing you say, you're already thinking about it the wrong way.

What is their background? Their aptitude? Why do they want to learn? How do they learn best? Are their expectations reasonable? In short, what would be the smartest way to help this individual? One suboptimal way is to post essentially a multi-paragraph lmgtfy and assume that everybody will hound down the knowledge they need with the same geeky obsessiveness you would.

Edit: I meant to mention that remark about getting a Mac. "Embarrassed" to have considered anything else? I'm a big Mac fan (Cocoa developer) but that is ridiculous enough that I'm tempted to see the whole post as a joke.

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