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How I learned to code in my 30s

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Re: How I learned to code in my 30s

#151

Post by emodendroket »

chrisdotcode wrote: post #141

I'm sorry, but I can't help but be incredibly cynical and jaded about this, and from reading the comments, nobody seems to have the same sentiment. If this was titled "How I learned to play the piano in my 30s", I don't think anybody would bat an eye: learning an instrument is not like joining some secret cult, and anybody can develop basic music literacy over a year or two. I also do not doubt this man's proficiency…

I mean, really, so what? Yes, anybody coming out of a boot camp program is going to be pretty junior to start with and will only be able to do simple things without guidance. I'm not sure that makes them so different from new grads or interns (sure, let's make a few exceptions for genuinely skilled kids).

Re: How I learned to code in my 30s

#153

Post by emodendroket »

brandonmenc wrote: post #65

When computers were invented, a lot of the people involved were already adults - plenty in their 40s and above. Before home computers, you didn't get to use a computer until your 20s. Therefore, the first few waves of programmers included a lot of "already olds." This is always overlooked as evidence that older people can learn to program.

Of course, but they had a strong theoretical background that made it a natural transition. And besides that, nobody would argue that you don't need a fancy medical degree to do medicine because the barber surgeons didn't have one (different circumstances, but I think OK for illustrating the problem with the argument).

Re: How I learned to code in my 30s

#154

Post by swiley »

tvelichkov wrote: post #119
cryptica wrote: post #115

I've been programming for 13 years. I started when I was 14 years old and studied software engineering at university. These days, when I take on well-paid contract work, sometimes I find myself working alongside people who only started learning to code at around 25 and never went to university. It's upsetting for me to think of all the fun I missed out on in my early life because I was learning programming and pushin…

So you did learn programming, because you wanted a great paycheck 13 years later? Lol, that's just stupid. I advised everyone from my circle to stay away from programming unless they fell in love with it. It's pointless to be a programmer if you don't have it in your heart. However, if you did enjoy, then there is nothing to be upset about, I mean you are doing what you love right? If its all about your paycheck you…

>So you did learn programming, because you wanted a great paycheck 13 years later?

I don't know, I did something similar and didn't care about how much I would get paid. I learned because I loved it.

But almost no one warned me about what I was missing out on because they kept saying that I was spending my time well based on the whole money thing. (in fact, there where many people who said I was spending my time better than most of my peers because of this.)

Re: How I learned to code in my 30s

#155

Post by shakestheclown »

emodendroket wrote: post #151
chrisdotcode wrote: post #141

I'm sorry, but I can't help but be incredibly cynical and jaded about this, and from reading the comments, nobody seems to have the same sentiment. If this was titled "How I learned to play the piano in my 30s", I don't think anybody would bat an eye: learning an instrument is not like joining some secret cult, and anybody can develop basic music literacy over a year or two. I also do not doubt this man's proficiency…

I mean, really, so what? Yes, anybody coming out of a boot camp program is going to be pretty junior to start with and will only be able to do simple things without guidance. I'm not sure that makes them so different from new grads or interns (sure, let's make a few exceptions for genuinely skilled kids).

I've never liked that programmers in general seem to imply that there is only room for the very best that develop for love and not money. The world needs a lot of mediocre programmers banging out CRUD sites for at least the near future. And some of those mediocre developers will eventually turn into good/great devs, and the ones that hate it or give up will be pushed out.

No one tells the person going back to school for accounting that they really have to love accounting or they should find a new line of work.

Re: How I learned to code in my 30s

#156

Post by bradcrispin »

chrisdotcode wrote: post #141

I'm sorry, but I can't help but be incredibly cynical and jaded about this, and from reading the comments, nobody seems to have the same sentiment. If this was titled "How I learned to play the piano in my 30s", I don't think anybody would bat an eye: learning an instrument is not like joining some secret cult, and anybody can develop basic music literacy over a year or two. I also do not doubt this man's proficiency…

> However, throwing each person in a bootcamp telling them "coding is wonderful! you can master it in 5 seconds

I am not sure if you read the article? The point is that age isn't a barrier but that becoming a software engineer is a lot harder than just going to a bootcamp and expecting a job to appear. This is about spending a year trying to find a job.

I have zero problem being compared to a plumber with a plunger! If something breaks in the middle of the night, I get paged, grab my mop and my tools, and fix it.

Why does it matter if the average plumber "can't fix your house"?

The pay is good because of supply and demand but I really do not know programmers who decided to get into it for money.

Re: How I learned to code in my 30s

#157

Post by chrisdotcode »

shakestheclown wrote: post #155
emodendroket wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, really, so what? Yes, anybody coming out of a boot camp program is going to be pretty junior to start with and will only be able to do simple things without guidance. I'm not sure that makes them so different from new grads or interns (sure, let's make a few exceptions for genuinely skilled kids).

I've never liked that programmers in general seem to imply that there is only room for the very best that develop for love and not money. The world needs a lot of mediocre programmers banging out CRUD sites for at least the near future. And some of those mediocre developers will eventually turn into good/great devs, and the ones that hate it or give up will be pushed out. No one tells the person going back to school…

I completely get that, but that's not what I'm saying - if we're just in the coding for money (which there is nothing wrong with), let's just be honest about it, like we would be about the accounting gig: "Yeah, I don't love it, but they pay's great".

Re: How I learned to code in my 30s

#158

Post by chrisdotcode »

bradcrispin wrote: post #156
chrisdotcode wrote: post #141

I'm sorry, but I can't help but be incredibly cynical and jaded about this, and from reading the comments, nobody seems to have the same sentiment. If this was titled "How I learned to play the piano in my 30s", I don't think anybody would bat an eye: learning an instrument is not like joining some secret cult, and anybody can develop basic music literacy over a year or two. I also do not doubt this man's proficiency…

> However, throwing each person in a bootcamp telling them "coding is wonderful! you can master it in 5 seconds I am not sure if you read the article? The point is that age isn't a barrier but that becoming a software engineer is a lot harder than just going to a bootcamp and expecting a job to appear. This is about spending a year trying to find a job. I have zero problem being compared to a plumber with a plunger!…

> The point is that age isn't a barrier but that becoming a software engineer is a lot harder than just going to a bootcamp and expecting a job to appear.

I know, but that's not generally what you'd see on a "learn X in Y days" sort of site. I'm more talking about the zeitgeist.

> Why does it matter if the average plumber "can't fix your house"?

"Fix your house" is more idiomatic for the entirety of plumber work. I suspect that you are more than a one-trick pony of development, but that takes years to master. A plumber that needs to fix a house needs to use and learn a myriad of tools that take years to master.

Re: How I learned to code in my 30s

#159

Post by sethrin »

quakeguy wrote: post #41
samstave wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That unit of measurement should be dubbed the Pruteanu As in: " How many Pruteanus until I'll be proficient in ML if I have zero understanding of the subject"

So shall it be! 1 Pruteanus (1 Prt) is measured as the amount of learning from a 1m high stack of any books given. obv /s

You could use some standard figures for page and book size (in Kb) and measure Pruteanus in megabytes of text. And you joke, but there's nothing in particular that is required of a unit of measure other than a lot of people thinking it's a good idea.

Re: How I learned to code in my 30s

#160

Post by pc86 »

cryptica wrote: post #115

I've been programming for 13 years. I started when I was 14 years old and studied software engineering at university. These days, when I take on well-paid contract work, sometimes I find myself working alongside people who only started learning to code at around 25 and never went to university. It's upsetting for me to think of all the fun I missed out on in my early life because I was learning programming and pushin…

> I could wipe out 95% of these skills from my memory and get paid the same.

You are correct.

If you're being paid for C++ programming, does it matter that you know AWS in and out? You're absolutely a better programmer all around, a more well-rounded technical expert, etc, but the C++ you produce is not inherently better because you messed around with CakePHP (lol) back in the day.

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