<div dir="ltr">Why compete? Because there are plenty of jobs, and excellence is more fun than mediocrity.<div><br></div><div>I have been thinking about that after a plan 9 kernel expert said something similar. I'm afraid that if I chose something based on an aversion to competition instead of passion for it, I'd wind up sad when I got ready for work every day.</div>
<div><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, May 29, 2014 at 6:27 PM, JD <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jdp@algoloma.com" target="_blank">jdp@algoloma.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">My considered opinion on "how to learn to program" is here:<br>
<a href="http://blog.jdpfu.com/2011/10/19/how-to-learn-to-program" target="_blank">http://blog.jdpfu.com/2011/10/19/how-to-learn-to-program</a><br>
It also has links to respected resources to actually learn this stuff.<br>
<br>
I'd also say that there is a vast difference in learning to program to get<br>
things done and learning to program for a day-job. For a day job, I would avoid<br>
all the languages that everyone else in the world (especially China/India) are<br>
learning. Why compete with 2+ billion other people?<br>
<div class="im HOEnZb"><br>
On 05/29/2014 03:17 PM, Tom Freeman wrote:<br>
><br>
</div><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5">> My apologies for using up people's bandwidth for something not really linux, but<br>
> this list is the best resource I know of for access to computer people with an<br>
> insane breadth of backgrounds and opinions. And they are willing to share.<br>
><br>
> A few days ago my daughter asked for an opinion as to a computer language for<br>
> her to learn. No, she doesn't have a project in mind, which would have at least<br>
> focused the discussion a little bit. She is a university librarian, however,<br>
> should that have any bearing on the discussion. She has access to a moderate<br>
> amount of materials for "Alice", which apparently her school uses for<br>
> programming introduction.<br>
><br>
> My advice, which should be considered highly flawed, was to take advantage of<br>
> the "Alice" materials as a first, quick step. Follow that with perhaps either<br>
> some work in Python or Java, with the Java due to her constant involvement in<br>
> tiny web projects.<br>
><br>
> If the Python or Java settles, and the itch continues, I was suggesting a second<br>
> language, possibly data base oriented for the library work, or something derived<br>
> from either FORTH or LISP for the mind expansion properties. As yet another<br>
> alternative - cshell(?) since she prefers the macintoy.<br>
><br>
> (I had a relative utterly in love with FORTH and very good at it also.<br>
> Unfortunately, he thought _everybody_ should program in it... Not a very<br>
> successful idea unfortunately.)<br>
><br>
> The multipart question here seems to be:<br>
> 1) Is there a proper solid resource for building some programming skill that I<br>
> should have know about and don't?<br>
> 2) Did I suggest a moderately reasonable approach in the eyes of people who<br>
> _actaully_ program?<br>
> 3) Is there probably a better approach I should have known about?<br>
><br>
> Thanks to all for the use of their bandwidth.<br>
><br>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br> Ed Cashin <<a href="mailto:ecashin@noserose.net">ecashin@noserose.net</a>><br> <a href="http://noserose.net/e/">http://noserose.net/e/</a><br>
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