How I Taught Myself Python/Django in 8 Weekends

#1

Post by vacanti » Tue, Aug 21, 2012, 5:53 PM UTC

How I Taught Myself Python/Django in 8 Weekends
tech.yipit.com

Re: How I Taught Myself Python/Django in 8 Weekends

#2

Post by pdelgallego » Tue, Aug 21, 2012, 6:44 PM UTC

Now the OP just need to teach himself programming in ten years [1] ;)

[1] http://norvig.com/21-days.html

Re: How I Taught Myself Python/Django in 8 Weekends

#3

Post by slurgfest » Tue, Aug 21, 2012, 6:50 PM UTC

Good for you, keep it up! Produce some cool things, then learn some new tools, rinse and repeat :)

Re: How I Taught Myself Python/Django in 8 Weekends

#4

Post by klibertp » Tue, Aug 21, 2012, 7:16 PM UTC

pdelgallego wrote: post #2

Now the OP just need to teach himself programming in ten years [1] ;) [1] http://norvig.com/21-days.html

I disagree.

The essay you link to is absolutely fabulous and I couldn't agree with it's conclusions more, but I know that I want to be a programmer. I 'always' (since 10) knew it and now, nearly twenty years later, which were filled with programming and little other than programming I'm still the same. I want to be a programmer, I struggle for mastery in nearly every aspect of my art/craft/... and I don't mind spending another twenty years in ever more obscure corners of it.

Now, this doesn't have to be the case for OP. Maybe he want's to create something which he can sell, or maybe he just wants to be literate in computers. There could be lots of reasons one wants to learn programming in 21 days (or 8 weekend, or whatever).

What I want to say is that although programming could eat your whole life in one bite not everyone wants this to happen and such people are perfectly right to try and learn a bit and then stop.

...sorry, I had a hard day at job today, I just needed to write something. Don't mind me :)

Re: How I Taught Myself Python/Django in 8 Weekends

#5

Post by bjpless » Tue, Aug 21, 2012, 7:21 PM UTC

klibertp wrote: post #4

pdelgallego wrote: post #2

Now the OP just need to teach himself programming in ten years [1] ;) [1] http://norvig.com/21-days.html

I disagree. The essay you link to is absolutely fabulous and I couldn't agree with it's conclusions more, but I know that I want to be a programmer. I 'always' (since 10) knew it and now, nearly twenty years later, which were filled with programming and little other than programming I'm still the same. I want to be a programmer, I struggle for mastery in nearly every aspect of my art/craft/... and I don't mind spendi…

Very well said.

Re: How I Taught Myself Python/Django in 8 Weekends

#6

Post by the_cat_kittles » Tue, Aug 21, 2012, 11:15 PM UTC

I would have titled this "How I taught Myself Enough Python/Django to do what I wanted in 8 weekends" ...there is so much to both of them, you can always learn more. But, you are indeed cruising, keep up the good work!

Re: How I Taught Myself Python/Django in 8 Weekends

#7

Post by tankbot » Tue, Aug 21, 2012, 11:56 PM UTC

klibertp wrote: post #4

pdelgallego wrote: post #2

Now the OP just need to teach himself programming in ten years [1] ;) [1] http://norvig.com/21-days.html

I disagree. The essay you link to is absolutely fabulous and I couldn't agree with it's conclusions more, but I know that I want to be a programmer. I 'always' (since 10) knew it and now, nearly twenty years later, which were filled with programming and little other than programming I'm still the same. I want to be a programmer, I struggle for mastery in nearly every aspect of my art/craft/... and I don't mind spendi…

No apology needed.

It was very well said and not at all inflammatory.

Re: How I Taught Myself Python/Django in 8 Weekends

#8

Post by dave_sullivan » Wed, Aug 22, 2012, 12:39 AM UTC

I'm seeing a lot of these posts lately, it reminds me of a Woody Allen joke:

Roughly "I'm taking a class on speed reading. I was able to read War and Peace in one night. It's about Russia."

Re: How I Taught Myself Python/Django in 8 Weekends

#9

Post by mkramlich » Wed, Aug 22, 2012, 3:33 AM UTC

I love the meme I'm seeing lately in some of the articles like this, that "it's only been recently that it's been possible to teach yourself to program". Having flashbacks to 1981, personally. I'm sure some of you other oldsters are having flashbacks to the 70's. Yes, Virginia, it has been possible for a few decades now to teach yourself how to code, how computers work, and to write real software that people will pay you for. This is not a new phenomenon or new capability.

Re: How I Taught Myself Python/Django in 8 Weekends

#10

Post by viscanti » Wed, Aug 22, 2012, 4:17 AM UTC

mkramlich wrote: post #9

I love the meme I'm seeing lately in some of the articles like this, that "it's only been recently that it's been possible to teach yourself to program". Having flashbacks to 1981, personally. I'm sure some of you other oldsters are having flashbacks to the 70's. Yes, Virginia, it has been possible for a few decades now to teach yourself how to code, how computers work, and to write real software that people will pay…

There's been an explosion in easy access to high quality learning material now. Sure, it's always been possible to teach yourself. Higher level languages and frameworks have sufficiently lowered the barrier to entry, that more people are willing to take the first steps. Being able to easily find answers on Google, to problems that might otherwise be sticking points, also makes it easier than ever to keep going once you've started learning/building. It's possible to learn to program without access to any of those, but it's certainly much easier now.