The Ugly Side of Learning to Code

And by learning C/C++, I mean really learning C/C++, not just relying the three classes that I took in college that used one of them. Lately I've been working on a C++ Windows TFTP server which has caused me to learn TFTP (very simple) and WinSock (complex so far). So I'm just curious what your thoughts might be.

Ha, I've been working on this thing too, though I suspect for different use cases. I don't know if you were using this as a general example of how you managed to solve a problem...but this really isn't a "web programming" problem, in that it's a program that has many uses outside of a web server. In fact, it should be a standalone script that has no awareness of the web (unless it's doing something with a lot of moving parts, like recording results and doing machine learning).

In any case, the problem with people trying to learn web programming is that it encompasses many things...I'd argue that web programming doesn't really require learning HTML beyond the basic idea of HTML (and CSS)...and yet many beginner programmers spend a month or so thinking that programming consists of memorizing tags and CSS rules (nevermind cross-browser considerations)...which must be frustrating as hell.

"As a result I've become more focused, more logical and smarter. But I've also become more detached from everyday life and less fun to hang out with. I'm not sure yet if the change is permanent, but I certainly hope that it can be undone :)"

I agree that coding is a constant learning process. But to suggest that this in some way makes you more detached from the world, and/or less fun to hang out with is ridiculously biased. I would like to believe the opposite is true. Programming and computer science in general have given me a sense of appreciation for the world and nature's algorithms that I could not have fathomed before. The social applications of strong logic and focus are infinite. Choosing to learn how to learn, or learning to program, does not mean you are choosing to become an introverted nerd or an extroverted socialite. I've learned nothing is really black and white (binary) like that.

As an example of how being more focused and logic can help, consider the scenario: You're talking with your girlfriend about who gets to be the designated driver one night, and all of a sudden the extra back rub you gave that one day three summers ago gets brought up as a bargaining chip in the argument. Reminding yourself and the other party to think logically and focus on the task at hand and not bring up things that are sure to spark dissension helps reduce these digressions and tangents during conversation. I think it is important that both parties in an argument at least can agree on what they're arguing about, and also at least on the scope of the argument. Now, I'm not just better at debate because of coding. My point here is that my life is enriched because can overlook the little things a lot more than I used to. I won't lecture my son for leaving his towel on the ground while it is wet when we're on vacation, because I have the focus to keep in mind what really matters: we're on vacation to relax and enjoy ourselves. This kind of easy-going behavior takes consideration and patience, given my short temper. Both consideration and patience are crucial to becoming at least a functioning programmer. It is even more than just patience and consideration though that are real life applications of traits strengthened through coding. When my friends and I are joking around, we tend to just morph and change jokes in a recursive manner to keep them interesting and to keep our lives exciting.

Being original is hard to do, and lots of original material is just old material tweaked a little bit. Our friend's name was Diego during the first iteration of his nick-name. Recursively and through several iterations, it changed to Diegs (Dee-eggs). Which changed to D-eggs. Which when he was very drunk became Grade D eggs. Which changed over time to just "Eggs." And you can use your imagination to guess how many different ways you can make eggs, and I can bet you almost all of them were used, and also used in conjunction ('fried, scrambled eggs') to address our friend, Diego.

Now, you sir, should not be convinced that learning to program makes you less attached to the world, and less fun to hang out with. On the contrary, you should embrace your powerful logic and focus and use it to enhance your life experiences and your disposition rather than to detract from them.

"I guess my point is, that if you want to become a programmer, you have to be comfortable with having to learn new things constantly for the rest of your life."

This conclusion implies the rate of learning experienced in those 6 months would be the same forever, and I think that's not entirely realistic. While technology is rapidly changing, it's FAR more sustainable to maintain knowledge across a wide variety of areas than continue at the pace and breadth the OP experienced.

Also, it depends on your field/focus. If you're talking about web programming, sure. If you're a C++ app programmer, chances are your world isn't changing too dramatically each year.

I google just about any HTML issue I have, so I don't spend too much time trying to learn the intricacies of it. If anything, trying to understand why CSS was behaving as it was, was what got me closest to smashing my keyboard more than a handful of times. Stupid Wordpress.

But I don't think it's necessarily a waste of time for absolute beginners to learn and memorize HTML as their first exposure to "programming". Having a fundamental understanding of how making changes to a script or file affects the output to a web browser is something that I imagine most non-programmers aren't familiar with, so having a firm grasp of this concept will probably help them digest more advanced concepts later on. Being able to whip up a web page is probably one of the first things I would teach beginners if I ever taught a course on programming.