

Homeless Guy Accepts Programmer's Offer To Learn How To Code - aram
http://www.businessinsider.com/homeless-guy-accepts-offer-to-learn-coding-2013-8

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venomsnake
This is both so wrong and so right that I don't know where to begin to.

Right because I think that the hands on approach works better than throwing
money at charity ... wrong because when you are helping a person you should
give them what they need and not what they think need and not what you think
they need.

And while I do think that this will help the guy it will be mostly because of
his celebrity status and some company will snatch him just for marketing
purposes it is not optimal solution. I will rant in details later.

Disclaimer - I had two such "pet projects" that brought limited success
although not with homeless people.

~~~
aram
What would you do as a hands-on approach but instead of learning him how to
code?

Regarding your two projects - did you write about them online? I'd be
interested in reading them.

~~~
venomsnake
Okay brief summary on the projects:

A friend was long term unemployed and because I knew that he was ok with math
offered my co-founder of the startup I was involved with at the time to "hire"
him for intensive training. The idea was - he was payed to study and to write
unit tests after that for our code. We payed the guy subsitance rate - so
pretty small financial approach and helped him with the studies. So after 3
months of training he was hired on normal rate and pushed towards QA and
testing automation. But after that he begun to slack a bit (mostly related to
his girlfriend, spend way too much time with her and not enough on self
improvement which was part of deal) so he could not keep up and we let him go.
This was like a wake up call for him and he got his act together, found his
next job on his own and now is making career in very respectable company with
above average income as QA.

The second was a bit different - a friend of mine soon after birth found
herself single and with the baby soaking up all her income and time she was
unable to take care of herself which led her to depression. She was eating
junk could not shed the pregnancy , couldn't bring herself to shape and her
figure was greatly deformed (according to her). So I offered her a deal - I
buy her all the food she needs (I wanted to see how low carb diets work in
women), she does not restrict calories and just tracks every day her weight
and progress. So we go to shop every day, upgraded her from starches and sugar
to leaner meat, fresh produce and some fruits with the occasional bar of dark
chocolate - while she did not lost much weight she is in much better shape,
very vigorous now and have better figure than before. Her waist slimmed like
crazy. It is ongoing btw.

Now about that project - these guys are not homeless. They are houseless if I
can quote George Carlin. What they need in the first place is warm and dry
place to stay, a shower, a mean and clean clothes and maybe some help with an
addiction. They need that kind of a break to be able to begin turning their
lives around. They also need a job. A great part of a person's self worth
comes from that. That guy - I wish him all the best btw will still need to
find projects and work with his new javascript skills. How exactly will he do
it?

Now what I will describe is the minimum needed things for that kind of project
to have a chance of happy ending (a guy from the streets to be reintegrated
into the society):

1\. First - make it a long term project (6 months) 2\. Provide some kind of
shelter and basic food security and broadband - if you are really serious
about making technologist out of him 3g or LTE won't be enough 3\. Make him
feel worthy about himself as human being - give him tasks that produce value -
give him normal linux machine show him the help and make him setup a lamp
stack himself, setup his ide etc. Guide him and give him tasks that are of
real use to someone - personal site etc. Enroll him in Edx and coursera - the
python edx MIT course is amazing. If he happens to be a decent human being try
to create leads for him when the project is over about projects jobs or show
him where to look for freelance work. 4\. Also have very detailed and very
reasonable schedule and expected milestones and be ready to pivot at any
moment - he may not have the chops for programmer but he could be great admin
or tester or designer.

I know it is a lot, but I don't think anything less will do and you are just
playing games with people's lives.

~~~
aram
Thanks a lot for detailed answer and writing about your projects. Both are
very interesting and were something I had on mind to do someday; that is why I
asked to read about them.

Regarding the methodology/steps to help the guy: I do understand your point
now and agree with all what you said, except the last bit - I still believe
it's better for him to have even that chance than nothing. Even though this
experiment might not make him a programmer, he will have a "motivator" in
front of him for some time, internet connection and a laptop. This could (and
I hope it will) change something in him when the project is over, no matter
the end result with JS.

I see outcomes from this project as far from linear; for example: he might use
internet to learn about something else he tends to understand easily, discuss
that with his "mentor" and possibly end up working in that sphere. He has more
chances to do something with that guy, chromebook and JS books than with
nothing.

Hope this makes sense.

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Fortaymedia
So, this guy is taking homeless guy off the streets and housing him where?
Surely, not leaving him in the office with a lot of equipment when you don't
now him, not in your own home with the family? and what if he doesn't get
housed anywhere? How will he be paid, in the UK you cant earn money without an
address, nor have bank accounts etc... I'm sure its the same over your side of
the pond?

Also, what stunt is he trying to pull? I agree its helping but morally the
wrong way. Should I just go and find a homeless person and tell them that they
can get off the streets but they have to be my personal body guard or coder or
cleaner - Its not my place to decide that for anybody.

------
aram
Related articles on Medium (from the guy who offered this):

Part 1: [https://medium.com/architecting-a-
life/fee8f3ee97a0](https://medium.com/architecting-a-life/fee8f3ee97a0)

Part 2: [https://medium.com/architecting-a-
life/ae059ddffd2e](https://medium.com/architecting-a-life/ae059ddffd2e)

Leo's Facebook page:
[https://www.facebook.com/pages/Journeyman/167865816737032](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Journeyman/167865816737032)

