Ask HN: Are there any platforms for pair programming matching to learn skills

[notso411]

I want to learn new engineering skills, unrelated to my job. I have no friends and I do not want to pressure colleagues. I find self directed courses to be a bore, are too high level, or assume way too much foundational knowledge. I work best having someone to guide me or chat through things, perhaps working towards a shared goal.

Does such a place exist?

[comprev]

/r/programming might be what you're after?

There are frequent "buddy" posts for people looking to learn together.

Using tools like VSCode LiveShare allows live pair programming during study.

[samstave]

I have this same problem.

I am a 'kinetic-Social-learner' - I learn by doing with others.

When I hit a roadblock on learning programming, and I am alone - I still get mired in failing to resolve the problem with search and I do well when I have others to speak to and learn from (which is why I love having smart engineers around me) - but when I am not working (like now, and alone, like the pandemic - learning was ROUGH) and it doesnt help that I am older and a bit burned out on the idea of the greater tech space - the AI-Bros are going to eat my lunch money.

--

I do have an idea that I'd like to share - something I cant pull off alone - but Here is the idea for a a Solution to your Question by builing the Answer:

If you are open - I'd am willing to learn with you - (I had a long career in OPs - but never as a dev - I managed REALLY talented devops people because I was good with talking to the Engineers to the C-Suite didnt have to.

--- One of my biggest problems is finding a singular idea to focus on building, no matter how small - and my ShinyThing.exe kicks in and I get distracted.

What I'd like to do is collaborate on an idea that we can build together while we learn.

And I propose learning, by building the platform/app/whatever that youre discussing and we are both suffering from - and give it a go. Who cares how crappy it turns out - but I need a buddy student as well.

If you're interested. FirstInitialLastName (from my username) at Proton. me.

?

[he11ow]

I'm surprised no one has pointed the obvious, which is using chatGPT as a coding buddy. I've done pair programming with developers who were much more capable than I was, so can compare the experience, and I have to say - it works just as well. The solutions it offers are not infallible; when it comes to pair programming, that's a feature not a bug. Often times the solution will emerge only through the back and forth. But it does a tremendous job of helping locate local bugs, introduce functionalities you may not be familiar with etc. etc.

[cranberryturkey]

there was one like code.tv or something. but i think they went under.