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Show HN: I'm 15 years old, and I released my first NPM module: Wizardry

diy.github.com

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Re: Show HN: I'm 15 years old, and I released my first NPM module: Wizardry

#71

Post by ianstallings »

bdcravens wrote: post #46

Many didn't like posting the age in the title. Yeah, no one ever words their HN submissions to be inflammatory and get to front page, right? I'll take a million hackers showing their projects and trying to win brownie points with their age than a single freakin smart phone troll blog post any day of the week.

Yeah no doubt. And this kid is miles ahead of the SEO goons as far as I'm concerned. Besides I always assume that means "I don't have experience so I'm just putting that out there before you stone me for something I did wrong". And as harsh as some of these comments are you can see why. I guess we all have to be tempered by the flames.

Re: Show HN: I'm 15 years old, and I released my first NPM module: Wizardry

#72

Post by gtmtg »

Looks great - nice job!

I'm 13 and I've created a node.js command line app (http://gtmtg.github.com/view-test) and an iOS control (http://gtmtg.github.com/MGDrawingSlate) among other things, but none of them are nearly this advanced...

Again - looks really cool...

Re: Show HN: I'm 15 years old, and I released my first NPM module: Wizardry

#73

Post by whatshisface »

dchichkov wrote: post #66
danilocampos wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We're top-voting this comment, folks? Really? That's how we want to encourage the next generation? Age is entirely relevant. In having youth, OP is sitting on a one-shot mass of potential energy that can be channeled in a multitude of ways. Among other things, by including age, OP is perhaps asking to be encouraged that yes, this is a valid and worthy combination of talents and ambitions. That this work shows potenti…

Shouldn't a threshold for "good job, you're doing it right" be a bit higher, than an iPhone game or an image processing module? Like launching your code into space? Or solving a major machine learning challenge?

Well, if we have to write computer programs for our own brains, I suppose the rule should be that the level of praise should be based on a combination of the usefulness of the project combined with the effort that went in to it. Usefulness because it is good to know how to find out what people want, and effort because kids have a very hard time sticking to stuff for extended durations.

Re: Show HN: I'm 15 years old, and I released my first NPM module: Wizardry

#75

Post by dchichkov »

siglesias wrote: post #67
dchichkov wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Shouldn't a threshold for "good job, you're doing it right" be a bit higher, than an iPhone game or an image processing module? Like launching your code into space? Or solving a major machine learning challenge?

Why?

Very simple. A threshold for an outstanding achievement by a school kid is a solid, noteworthy, postgraduate level work.

Re: Show HN: I'm 15 years old, and I released my first NPM module: Wizardry

#76

Post by nathan7 »

bashzor wrote: post #56

Oh a 15 year old, how cute. So, what about that module? Why is it special enough to be posted to HN? The age is not relevant. Imagine someone of 36 made this module and included his age. If he had gotten into programming at 35 and this was some kick-ass thing, then yeah that would be kinda neat. Now you could have been programming for five years or so, which gives you a big advantage. If you had been twelve or so, th…

To be honest, I quite hate it when people are all "oh my god can you do that shit but you're only 17". I hated it as much in the 10 years before it. As nice as the compliments seem, what they're really saying is "this is only impressive because you're dumb since you're only x years old". I've fiddled with computers for the past 10 years. I've accomplished less than many others in that time span. Cheer on me proportionally to my accomplishments, perhaps even to my effort, but please not to the inverse of my age. Age shouldn't be a factor in rating of skill. Luckily, on the internet, nobody knows you're a dog. And I like it that way.

Re: Show HN: I'm 15 years old, and I released my first NPM module: Wizardry

#77

Post by Jare »

astrodust wrote: post #69
chris_p wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who is insulting him? People are just saying that his age is not relavent to what he did, and I agree. His post should describe the project. It should be about how awesome his project is, not about how awesome he is.

It looks like a good module that stands on its own merits. Adding irrelevant demographic information weakens that. If this headline was "I'm black, and I released my first NPM module" or "I'm a Republican, and I released my first NPM module" would it be appropriate? It's as if anyone who's not 20-40, white and male needs to somehow draw attention to that fact. Shouldn't this be an inclusive community rather than one…

I find the age bit interesting because most young people are not interested in creating, and I enjoy celebrating those that do.

Re: Show HN: I'm 15 years old, and I released my first NPM module: Wizardry

#78

Post by GuiA »

Jare wrote: post #77
astrodust wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It looks like a good module that stands on its own merits. Adding irrelevant demographic information weakens that. If this headline was "I'm black, and I released my first NPM module" or "I'm a Republican, and I released my first NPM module" would it be appropriate? It's as if anyone who's not 20-40, white and male needs to somehow draw attention to that fact. Shouldn't this be an inclusive community rather than one…

I find the age bit interesting because most young people are not interested in creating, and I enjoy celebrating those that do.

>because most young people are not interested in creating

Clearly you need to work with young people more :)

There is that misconception that all teenagers care about is watching TV or hanging out with their friends and doing nothing "creative" or "productive". How wrong! I've worked with hundreds of teenagers over the past few years, and I've never met one who wasn't interested in creating.

By default, kids and teenagers have a thirst to create, to see how they can imprint the world they live in.

Sure, for a lot of them, what they wish to create is what HN would (sadly) scoff at (those dreaming of becoming athletes, singers, actors, writers, etc.). But the intent to create is there.

What makes the difference ultimately is how seriously they're taken. In our current society, they're just dismissed as ignorant teenagers, and that's what they become in a sad self-fulfilling prophecy. But when they're given the proper encouragement and tools to act upon their creative impulses, that's where the magic happens.

Re: Show HN: I'm 15 years old, and I released my first NPM module: Wizardry

#79

Post by eertami »

bdcravens wrote: post #43
ComputerGuru wrote: post #2

Sorry, I don't see that your age is relevant.

The "HN" ethos tends to reward those who go against the odds: founders who jumped off a cliff financially, teams working crazy hours with too few employees, working a full time job while bootstrapping, trying to have a family life, etc. In the end, none of that matters: you either ship good stuff, or you don't. However, whether you have a full-time job or are dealing with the time-suck that is high school, we're here…

>time-suck that is high school

I don't follow, high school allows you the most spare time you will ever have.

Re: Show HN: I'm 15 years old, and I released my first NPM module: Wizardry

#80

Post by jasonlotito »

bashzor wrote: post #56

Oh a 15 year old, how cute. So, what about that module? Why is it special enough to be posted to HN? The age is not relevant. Imagine someone of 36 made this module and included his age. If he had gotten into programming at 35 and this was some kick-ass thing, then yeah that would be kinda neat. Now you could have been programming for five years or so, which gives you a big advantage. If you had been twelve or so, th…

So, age is irrelevant to you, but nationality is?
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