[deleted]
Learn to Code, It's Harder Than You Think
21–30 of 197 posts
Re: Learn to Code, It's Harder Than You Think
#22I am really entertained by the note that there are high barriers to entry to learning to code. Almost all coders I know are self thought or chose a school as an afterthought because they were experimenting with coding from early age.
Re: Learn to Code, It's Harder Than You Think
#23I liken coding to playing a musical instrument. Some people are musically inclined, they can learn easily and fast and they tend to the best. But most people require some level of training complimented by the dedication of what amounts to mostly self-practice. So in a way, you're self taught. The vast majority of people are willing to buy an instrument, just to see if they are musically inclined, but when they find o…
Learning anything will result in a similar process. "Talent" gives you reasons ("wow, i'm good at this") to persist in learning, without it you either persist, or not.
Re: Learn to Code, It's Harder Than You Think
#24I loathe these type articles. They're complex arguments to justify the attitude that "only we chosen few (men) with serious tech degrees are gifted enough to do important work in code." Tech is a big, prosperous industry and will be bigger if we act welcoming rather than creating complex arguments to protect our turf. Disclaimer: Am a white male with a CS degree who runs a coding bootcamp.
The article arguments for the very opposite. Did your bias prevented you from reading it till the end before commenting? :)
Re: Learn to Code, It's Harder Than You Think
#25I liken coding to playing a musical instrument. Some people are musically inclined, they can learn easily and fast and they tend to the best. But most people require some level of training complimented by the dedication of what amounts to mostly self-practice. So in a way, you're self taught. The vast majority of people are willing to buy an instrument, just to see if they are musically inclined, but when they find o…
> I liken coding to playing a musical instrument.
Except with a musical instrument, anybody can judge whether you are good at it. Not so with programming. Everybody who ever wrote one line of HTML can call themself a programmer, but only trained people can tell whether you are a good one.
You might say at this point: so what? But I think the distinction is important, because it may be the reason the "driving force" is missing for a lot of people. If programming really had "rock stars" we might have had a lot more good programmers.
Re: Learn to Code, It's Harder Than You Think
#26Driving is hard. Or not. Driving an F1 car is hard. Driving an 18 wheeler is hard. Driving a Fiat is not. You can probably learn to "move" an 18 wheeler or an F1 car but bets are off whether or not you're going to go on to win any races. Have I run this analogy into the ground yet?
Re: Learn to Code, It's Harder Than You Think
#27There's a big gulf between knowing how to code and working as a professional software developer.
I'm a writer for a marketing agency, but I write Google App Scripts, JavaScript, and PHP on a regular basis to automate tasks, try out ideas I have, etc.
There's no way I could work as a professional software developer, but I know how to code enough to help make my professional/personal life easier and more fun.
Isn't there something to be said for that? Not every skill needs to lead directly to a job. Can't it just be another skill to have when you need it?
I learned to code through Codecademy and trial and error with frequent Stack Overflow searches. If I can figure it out, anyone can.
Edit: For anyone saying they would hire me, I'm flattered but am very happy working as a writer who gets to program occasionally. If you're interested, here are two little projects I've put together: http://playRollo.com and http://WriteByNumbers.com. Feedback? Email me, paulcole@gmail.com.
Re: Learn to Code, It's Harder Than You Think
#28Coding requires a mindset that some people just don't have, or haven't developed yet. Ask any TA who has taught the basic "intro to CS" courses, and you'll hear lots of anecdotes which show that some people just don't get it.
Here's an example:
Q: write a program that reads 2 numbers from standard input,
and outputs their sum. For example:
First number: 3
Second number: 7
Sum is: 10
print "First number: 3"
print "Second number: 7"
print "Sum is: 10"Re: Learn to Code, It's Harder Than You Think
#29Where was the proof presented for this? That idea doesn't sit well with me at all. Maybe they meant to say that it's hard for most people to want to sit still and stare at text all day. It's hard to ignore urges to go out rather than stay inside and read tutorials on the web. I don't think programming itself is hard. Most people program. It's just that they do it without thinking about the steps they're programming,…
Your perspective is incorrect.
I've made my living by teaching beginners to code. I have been doing it for the better part of two decades, and I specialize in teaching students that have little aptitude for it.
I make my students code FizzBuzz. It is literally the 106th project I make them do. That is, they have completed 105 complete computer programs before getting to FizzBuzz.
And many of them still struggle with it. The nuance of else/if needing to be ordered in a certain way is something they still don't have a good grip on.
Programming a computer is very very hard for most people.
Re: Learn to Code, It's Harder Than You Think
#30I liken coding to playing a musical instrument. Some people are musically inclined, they can learn easily and fast and they tend to the best. But most people require some level of training complimented by the dedication of what amounts to mostly self-practice. So in a way, you're self taught. The vast majority of people are willing to buy an instrument, just to see if they are musically inclined, but when they find o…
> I liken coding to playing a musical instrument. Except with a musical instrument, anybody can judge whether you are good at it. Not so with programming. Everybody who ever wrote one line of HTML can call themself a programmer, but only trained people can tell whether you are a good one. You might say at this point: so what? But I think the distinction is important, because it may be the reason the "driving force" i…
Counterpoint, I can knock out a first class "Stairway to Heaven" in the local electric guitar shop simply by remembering where my fingers should be but not having any clue about what chords and notes they are.
Can I be judged to be an accomplished musician upon that sole rendition?