

Learning how to code - philipbrown
http://cultivatus.co.uk/2011/11/09/3-simple-steps-for-learning-how-to-code/

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wccrawford
Since the link isn't working, I'm going to take a guess.

1) Start coding.

2) ???

3) Profit!

Or maybe...

1) Start coding

2) Google everything you have a problem with

3) Return to step 1

That's how self-taught people learn. Okay, maybe Google wasn't around when
some of us started, but we used books, magazines, and trial-and-error. Google
is much faster and more reliable.

But honestly, that just isn't for everyone. Some people need a more structured
environment, and that's fine. That's why classes and learn-to-program books
exist.

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fuzzix
"Google is much faster and more reliable"

Until our novice looks for information on PHP and mysql and thinks
'mysql_real_escape_string_honest_this_time' is a great idea.

Or until our novice decides to learn Perl:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3158276>

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TheCapn
I don't like the article because of the fatal flaw I see with novice
programmers that this fails to address... tunnel vision.

When I say "tunnel vision" though I mean the fact that novice users don't
entirely understand what code does or how it works. They're only understanding
the very surface of what they're doing and without more fundamental knowledge
they'll fail to understand when a different approach is better suited, or why
certain things are avoided, or why their tool is not the best tool for what
they're trying to accomplish (square block in circular hole type issues).

Sure its a good start just "diving right in" but its also a great way to get
bad habits. The good coders, ones that have the natural talent, will figure
things out regardless of their starting block. The problem is the swarms of
bad programmers that come out of the wood works because "anyone can do it!"

How would I improve it? Don't gloss over the details as if they're entirely
that simple. Programmers need to start simple (a calculator) and then build up
iteratively so they're not overstepping their bounds. Thoughts?

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wikimatze
The link is broken.

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Derbasti
And the RSS feed is abbreviated. Too bad.

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wikimatze
One failure express the next one

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sycr
Why is this being up voted when the link is broken?

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sjonkedispe
Now let's read it.

