Why do you want to learn to code? Specifically, I'm wondering whether you're interested in it because you find it to be a fascinating subject, or whether you're trying to do that because that's what your most successful friends seem to be doing. If it's entirely the latter, you might be better off trying to find something that's well matched to you
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I'm interested because i hear that it involves lots of neat puzzle solving and whatnot, and that i might be decent at it, but also because i don't know of much that would be well matched for me. "i don't know what i want to do when i grow up." To that end, it makes sense to try to figure out whether i like coding, but i could just decide that i don't, and ignore it
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So, right now I'm looking for things I might like based on hearsay. This, to me, sounds like setting yourself up for indecision and disappointment. I ask you, in all seriousness, do you not know of anything you enjoy doing? You must, you have so many hobbies you enjoy. Ask yourself when it is that you feel the most satisfied. When at all during your day or your week or your month do you really feel like yourself? I would tell you to take that thing and spend more time with it. I don't think it matters if you're good at it, because having a passion will inevitably lead to a skill.
Mundane work would be fine, but people keep telling me not to be a janitor Don't base your decisions on what other people say is good for you. So what am I telling you, then? I'm telling you to look into yourself and find your own answers, because they will be the only ones that are meaningful.
Watching anannamouse folding paper for short periods of time can be entertaining, and clearly she enjoys origami in one way or another, but that doesn't necessarily imply that origami is the path to wealth.
LJ friend-of-a-friend dropping in; hope you don't mind.
If you're still trying to decide whether or not to do programming, you might be interested in The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick Brooks. Although the book describes events that took place several decades ago, there is still a lot of wisdom about the software development process and pitfalls generally encountered. Another useful source of essays on software career issues is Paul Graham's site.
Re: the comment about the use of Unix shells; system administration jobs can involve a lot of scripting, including shell programming.
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This, to me, sounds like setting yourself up for indecision and disappointment. I ask you, in all seriousness, do you not know of anything you enjoy doing? You must, you have so many hobbies you enjoy.
Ask yourself when it is that you feel the most satisfied. When at all during your day or your week or your month do you really feel like yourself? I would tell you to take that thing and spend more time with it. I don't think it matters if you're good at it, because having a passion will inevitably lead to a skill.
Mundane work would be fine, but people keep telling me not to be a janitor
Don't base your decisions on what other people say is good for you. So what am I telling you, then? I'm telling you to look into yourself and find your own answers, because they will be the only ones that are meaningful.
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If you're still trying to decide whether or not to do programming, you might be interested in The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick Brooks. Although the book describes events that took place several decades ago, there is still a lot of wisdom about the software development process and pitfalls generally encountered. Another useful source of essays on software career issues is Paul Graham's site.
Re: the comment about the use of Unix shells; system administration jobs can involve a lot of scripting, including shell programming.
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