I'm sick of people telling me I shouldn't tell people to learn to code because it's hard.
Code = logic
It takes practice but it's not that hard.
If you can think logically, you can code.
On second thought... Maybe they have a point.
Coding is a mindset. It clicks with some people and not with others.
Yes, almost anyone can learn the basic concepts and structures, but to be good at it, you need to make the leap into seeing problems in terms of those concepts.
If you liked proofs in high school geometry, you will probably be good at coding. Once I was able I to make that connection, geometry proofs were easy.
But I’ve met some very smart people who just don’t have the mindset. They are good at other things but they just never caught on to coding.
Just my take from 40 years of coding, both professionally and personally.
Yes, almost anyone can learn the basic concepts and structures, but to be good at it, you need to make the leap into seeing problems in terms of those concepts.
If you liked proofs in high school geometry, you will probably be good at coding. Once I was able I to make that connection, geometry proofs were easy.
But I’ve met some very smart people who just don’t have the mindset. They are good at other things but they just never caught on to coding.
Just my take from 40 years of coding, both professionally and personally.
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Respect to a code veteran!
I just don't like the idea of telling people coding is hard because it primes your brain to make you think you can't do it.
I know people that won't even TRY to code because they think it's "too hard".
Such a sad state of affairs.
I think it’s a bit more than that. I compared it to geometry proofs because it requires you to apply concepts to get from point A to point B. Yes, you can blindly follow directions and possibly get through a class, but to be really good you need to have the mindset necessary to logically solve problems. That is more than just following directions. That’s more akin to cooking and just following a recipe vs creating a new dish.
I get it. But you can say that about almost anything of value in life. There are people who embrace lifetime learning and those who don’t. Then even with those who do, there are certain things that will click with them and some that won’t. Just because coding doesn’t click with someone doesn’t mean they are dumb. It’s just not their thing but they can really excel at something completely different.
I know older ladies who are really good at weaving, for example. To get really good at it, there’s a good deal of math involved (e.g. a lot of patterns involve Fibonacci sequences). I understand this, but it just doesn’t click with me. A lot of my great uncles on my mothers side were machinists. Not the most educated to be sure but, holy crap, they could build almost anything from a rough napkin sketch.
My point to this is that anything worthwhile has a learning curve…sometimes a big one at that. And there will be smart people who just don’t get it. And that doesn’t take away from their intelligence.
That being said, there are a lot of plain dumb people as well out there. But if they are capable and not lazy there are important jobs that need to be done. I respect those folks. It’s the lazy ones that drive me nuts.
I know older ladies who are really good at weaving, for example. To get really good at it, there’s a good deal of math involved (e.g. a lot of patterns involve Fibonacci sequences). I understand this, but it just doesn’t click with me. A lot of my great uncles on my mothers side were machinists. Not the most educated to be sure but, holy crap, they could build almost anything from a rough napkin sketch.
My point to this is that anything worthwhile has a learning curve…sometimes a big one at that. And there will be smart people who just don’t get it. And that doesn’t take away from their intelligence.
That being said, there are a lot of plain dumb people as well out there. But if they are capable and not lazy there are important jobs that need to be done. I respect those folks. It’s the lazy ones that drive me nuts.
While I agree with you, I also agree with basedbagel. It's true that some people just don't get things and coding is one of those things, but it's also true we shouldn't tell people they can't do things and that they're too hard to learn.
Same goes for all the stuff you mentioned. "Oh, I can't learn machining, I can't learn weaving, I can't learn car engines, it's too hard" but in reality they're all things people can learn and do learn every day.
I never clicked with playing musical instruments. It just never worked for me. That doesn't mean it's hard and people shouldn't try, it just means I couldn't get it. People still should try because you never know what you'll turn out to be good at until you try. Everyone is different.
Same goes for all the stuff you mentioned. "Oh, I can't learn machining, I can't learn weaving, I can't learn car engines, it's too hard" but in reality they're all things people can learn and do learn every day.
I never clicked with playing musical instruments. It just never worked for me. That doesn't mean it's hard and people shouldn't try, it just means I couldn't get it. People still should try because you never know what you'll turn out to be good at until you try. Everyone is different.
Not disagreeing here. This is my counter argument to people who complain about being taught things in school that they never use in life. “Day 3,568 of not using Trigonometry”. That’s one of the points of school. That’s the difference between educating and training. Both have value but a lot of people conflate them.
But that is an entirely different rat hole. :)
But that is an entirely different rat hole. :)
Both are broadly important, though postsecondary needs to generally be more like training and less trying to turn people into "well rounded individuals" since people are paying based on it being vocational training. Paying to become a well rounded individual is a luxury many people can't afford, it's something the idle rich can faff around with while people who need to figure out how to get food and shelter or they'll die can focus on that.
That said, prior to that point a well rounded education is a good idea since people never know what they'll end up with when they're 10. I do think educators are failing their students -- if more than half your students can't do age appropriate math or reading or writing, then that's a failing grade for the instructor and the system they work in. The problem isn't that math is hard, it's that the system failed to teach the skill.
That said, prior to that point a well rounded education is a good idea since people never know what they'll end up with when they're 10. I do think educators are failing their students -- if more than half your students can't do age appropriate math or reading or writing, then that's a failing grade for the instructor and the system they work in. The problem isn't that math is hard, it's that the system failed to teach the skill.
Both are definitely important, I just think far too many people conflate them. Getting an undergrad in history, philosophy, or psychology is great if you just want to learn about it. But you should never go into debt to do that, certainly not 6 figures of debt.
For most people, formal education should be done in their formative years. Then most people need training. Some may go on for more education, but we have crazily pushed everyone into education as adults without any plan. That is the mess we are in today.
Many people see college graduates doing well and assume that they are doing well because they are college graduates. This isn't really the case. Just getting a degree in anything isn't valuable on the job market and could set you down a very messy financial path.
For most people, formal education should be done in their formative years. Then most people need training. Some may go on for more education, but we have crazily pushed everyone into education as adults without any plan. That is the mess we are in today.
Many people see college graduates doing well and assume that they are doing well because they are college graduates. This isn't really the case. Just getting a degree in anything isn't valuable on the job market and could set you down a very messy financial path.
@basedbagel @midway
coding is like math, it is only hard if you are stupid aka cant follow directions.