Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

How I Learned to Program

rdegges.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 78 posts

Re: How I Learned to Program

#31

Post by wazoox »

cletus wrote: post #27

The one point I really disagree on is Linux. Sure learning Linux will most likely teach you something about the platform on which anything you write will probably be deployed but that's really marginal (IMHO). You get things done (programming included) by getting all the roadblocks out of your way. Linux is (IMHO) a roadblock. The OP claims it teaches you researching skills by giving you problems everyday you need to…

I'd say that the main advantage of Linux here is that it helps get you started; it's really easy to make a quick CLI tool, usually in the form of a shell, perl or python script, that is useful -- scratching an itch. This applies quite well to Mac OS, of course, but to run Mac OS you'll need a Mac...

Re: How I Learned to Program

#32

Post by recursive »

wazoox wrote: post #31
cletus wrote: post #27

The one point I really disagree on is Linux. Sure learning Linux will most likely teach you something about the platform on which anything you write will probably be deployed but that's really marginal (IMHO). You get things done (programming included) by getting all the roadblocks out of your way. Linux is (IMHO) a roadblock. The OP claims it teaches you researching skills by giving you problems everyday you need to…

I'd say that the main advantage of Linux here is that it helps get you started; it's really easy to make a quick CLI tool, usually in the form of a shell, perl or python script, that is useful -- scratching an itch. This applies quite well to Mac OS, of course, but to run Mac OS you'll need a Mac...

You can also write python and powershell scripts in windows.

Re: How I Learned to Program

#33

Post by spencerfry »

No offense to the author, but I was expecting more of an in-depth process article rather than an overview. Every "How I Learned to Program" article is fluff filled and really only inspiring rather than action orientated. I've never read a truly step-by-step guide on how someone has learned to program. Maybe I'll write it.

Re: How I Learned to Program

#34

Post by mjwalshe »

jmsduran wrote: post #11

Nice article, I second that programming is a way of life. Although I'm in my early 20's right out of college, I look forward to how much knowledge & experience I will amass, and the radical transformations this industry will go through, 10 - 20 years down the road. > "On linux, if you want to copy a file from one box to another, you use scp or rsync" No, not really... I just SFTP at the moment simply cause I find it…

yes rsync for single files is over kill

Re: How I Learned to Program

#35

Post by polyfractal »

This is probably going to raise some ire, but am I in the minority of people who are tired of "How I learned to program?" type posts showing up on HN?

You learned how to code. Great, I am legitimately, truthfully happy for you. It's a very cool skill/career path and a wonderful feeling when you have the ability to create something on your own.

But...do we really need to read that on the frontpage? Am I the only one that finds these types of posts uninteresting?

It has almost become a cliche to wake up and find a frontpage "How I learned in as a "

Re: How I Learned to Program

#36

Post by spacemanaki »

cletus wrote: post #27

The one point I really disagree on is Linux. Sure learning Linux will most likely teach you something about the platform on which anything you write will probably be deployed but that's really marginal (IMHO). You get things done (programming included) by getting all the roadblocks out of your way. Linux is (IMHO) a roadblock. The OP claims it teaches you researching skills by giving you problems everyday you need to…

For someone who already has a Windows machine (still the majority, I believe) you just replaced one roadblock with another. One is technical and the other is financial (buying a Mac).

Really, Norvig sums this up best: "When asked "what operating system should I use, Windows, Unix, or Mac?", my answer is usually: "use whatever your friends use." "

(I use a Mac and think it's swell, but I definitely couldn't have shelled out for one as a high schooler learning to program, but could burn a weekend dual booting Linux)

Re: How I Learned to Program

#38

Post by jseliger »

polyfractal wrote: post #35

This is probably going to raise some ire, but am I in the minority of people who are tired of "How I learned to program?" type posts showing up on HN? You learned how to code. Great, I am legitimately, truthfully happy for you. It's a very cool skill/career path and a wonderful feeling when you have the ability to create something on your own. But...do we really need to read that on the frontpage? Am I the only one t…

This is probably going to raise some ire, but am I in the minority of people who are tired of "How I learned to program?" type posts showing up on HN?

You're probably not the only one, but I rather like many of these posts, and I think they're useful for the large minority or small majority of HN readers who don't program. They're also handy encouragement to non-programmers in general: someone says "I could do it," describes how, and perhaps that'll act as an impetus and example.

Sometimes I learn something new from these kinds of posts.

Re: How I Learned to Program

#39

Post by [deleted] »

cletus wrote: post #27

The one point I really disagree on is Linux. Sure learning Linux will most likely teach you something about the platform on which anything you write will probably be deployed but that's really marginal (IMHO). You get things done (programming included) by getting all the roadblocks out of your way. Linux is (IMHO) a roadblock. The OP claims it teaches you researching skills by giving you problems everyday you need to…

[deleted]

Re: How I Learned to Program

#40

Post by babarock »

bellbind wrote: post #25
boofar wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So it's not the fault of programming or any other activity per se, but that of the stressful (work) environment.

What I'm saying is that programming for fun on your free time is absolutely not the same as programming to pay the rent, and this is not straightforward when you start learning computer science (and that's what this article is about, right?). You have to respect a lot of things that stops you in the creation process, because the goal here is not to do cool things but do as you're told, to take decisions not for your…

Let me put it this way. On a regular week day, I spend around 12-14 hours a day programming (that might change with a kid on the way), only 10 of which are done for my boss. The point is I don't program to make a living. I just make a living by doing what I do best.

In other words, programming to me means so much more than what I give my employer. Just like the article says, it defines a way of life, that puts knowledge, learning and improving on top of everything else.

Post reply on HN