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Paging all BARF nerds (Programming)

Chris_BR

Chris_BR

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Joined
Sep 10, 2009
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I always thought programming was unobtanium. I remember taking an xhtml class in high school and it was interesting but the teacher was horrible.

The 'technology' tab on my flipboard app has really sparked my interest in the past few months and I decided to learn how to "program". I want to make something. I'm not sure what, but it has sparked my interest.

I'm over at Codecademy.com and I've completed the HTML5/CSS3 portion (Web designing doesn't seem all that interesting to me although I will re-do the lessons and start tinkering on websites) and have begun the Python section.

I'm going back to a community college in the Fall and want some tips from :barf

Computer Science x Software Engineering

Do's and Dont's

How not to fail :laughing

When will writing code all make sense?!
 
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For stimulation, it's tough to beat something like an Arduino and a wad of shields. Programming where all the input/output is displayed on a monitor, it's a little tougher to stay motivated, imo. Both have tons of value in the workplace though.
 
Programming field is over saturated, so if this is for career you will need BA/BS at least. If you just want to have "fun". See what floats your boat, and get involved in open source project. Web programming is the suck, personal opinion, OSs are fun, Compilers are fun.
 
byke said:
For stimulation, it's tough to beat something like an Arduino and a wad of shields. Programming where all the input/output is displayed on a monitor, it's a little tougher to stay motivated, imo. Both have tons of value in the workplace though.
Click to expand...

Arduino looks very cool. Will get one!


UDRider said:
Programming field is over saturated, so if this is for career you will need BA/BS at least. If you just want to have "fun". See what floats your boat, and get involved in open source project. Web programming is the suck, personal opinion, OSs are fun, Compilers are fun.
Click to expand...

As of right now I have no BA/BS :laughing . I was thinking about going into Computer Science, but maybe I shouldn't?

I've been in Brazil teaching EFL for the past 2 years so I'm a bit out of the loop. Before coming I was (ever so slowly) doing Engineering pre-reqs at my community college
 
byke said:
For stimulation, it's tough to beat something like an Arduino and a wad of shields. Programming where all the input/output is displayed on a monitor, it's a little tougher to stay motivated, imo. Both have tons of value in the workplace though.
Click to expand...

I would think if you were to go the Arduino route (which isn't "programming" for the beginner, more a firmware/embedded system thing), then do the Rasberry PI. It's platform is more standard (linux based) and you can drop android onto it.

And fwiw, there is plenty of input/output on your standard PC/Laptop to keep you happy if you want to get into the nuts and bolts of the hardware.

One of the things that distinguish good programmers for me over average ones is the ability to develop a really good UI, and/or a nice program structure. Anyone can write if statements and put out shit code. Good programmers know how to properly structure their programs.
 
Chris_BR said:
Arduino looks very cool. Will get one!




As of right now I have no BA/BS :laughing . I was thinking about going into Computer Science, but maybe I shouldn't?

I've been in Brazil teaching EFL for the past 2 years so I'm a bit out of the loop. Before coming I was (ever so slowly) doing Engineering pre-reqs at my community college
Click to expand...

Just saying if you do want to get in to the field you will need that, MS preferred (with research). Try to specialize in something. People who know C++/Java/ JS :green, are dime a dozen. People who know compilers, not so much. Same goes for DB, and OS (kernel). When I was doing my MS, a lot of undergrads went for easy classes and in to Informatics :rolleyes because it was easy. Most just knew Java and wrote shitty code relying on the underlying VM with magical GC to turn it in to a gold nugget.
 
n10sive said:
I would think if you were to go the Arduino route (which isn't "programming" for the beginner, more a firmware/embedded system thing), then do the Rasberry PI. It's platform is more standard (linux based) and you can drop android onto it.
Click to expand...

The Pi is great, but you can't beat the Arduino user base and peripherals. From a support standpoint, like finding an answer, or bits of code, for just about any function, there is much better support for the Arduino. And 'programming' is the general category, embedded systems and software are sub-categories. Programming an Arduino is great because while you're really learning a layer above the actual programming, the fundamentals port over very well. Buy the stuff and you're blinking an LED in ten seconds, so it's also bitchin for beginners. Anyway, tomayto-tomahto I suppose.
 
sandyxb said:
don'ts: anything with J, ++, or # in it :x
Click to expand...

C++ is awesome, heathen!


























It give you the tools to manufacture gun parts, assemble it, assemble the bullet, put the bullet in to the gun, and then blow your leg off. :laughing
 
UDRider said:
Just saying if you do want to get in to the field you will need that, MS preferred (with research). Try to specialize in something. People who know C++/Java/ JS :green, are dime a dozen. People who know compilers, not so much. Same goes for DB, and OS (kernel).
Click to expand...

Realistically I'm in the 'I have no idea what I want to study' boat (have been here for a while) but I need to get serious about something come Fall. And computer science (or a related field) seems interesting. But I think it just comes down to choosing something and sticking with it? :laughing
 
n10sive said:
I would think if you were to go the Arduino route (which isn't "programming" for the beginner, more a firmware/embedded system thing), then do the Rasberry PI. It's platform is more standard (linux based) and you can drop android onto it.

And fwiw, there is plenty of input/output on your standard PC/Laptop to keep you happy if you want to get into the nuts and bolts of the hardware.

One of the things that distinguish good programmers for me over average ones is the ability to develop a really good UI, and/or a nice program structure. Anyone can write if statements and put out shit code. Good programmers know how to properly structure their programs.
Click to expand...

RaspPi is definitely the way to go, if you're the least bit interested in portability. Lots of cool uses for it, and you won't feel bad sticking it somewhere or possibly blowing it up, as it only costs $35.
 
UDRider said:
Programming field is over saturated, so if this is for career you will need BA/BS at least. If you just want to have "fun". See what floats your boat, and get involved in open source project. Web programming is the suck, personal opinion, OSs are fun, Compilers are fun.
Click to expand...

I see it differently. Like many other things, programming is a great career if and only if you have a passion for it. If it's "just a job" for you, you're gonna suck at it. At the top levels (of talent) the field is not saturated at all.
 
Why not just get a copy of Visual Studio or Eclipse and then check out some open source code. Write a phone app or something.

Embedded seems like quite the jump from where the OP says he's at. Unless you need to be interacting with hardware, running things on a desktop is going to be more productive as well.
 
if you know html5, you can always develop an mobile app yourself. Check out bizmobify.com (let me know if you need a free account there). Get started on mobile, its hawt these days and will stay hawt for another five years.
 
rodr said:
I see it differently. Like many other things, programming is a great career if and only if you have a passion for it. If it's "just a job" for you, you're gonna suck at it. At the top levels (of talent) the field is not saturated at all.
Click to expand...

Never said programming is not a great career, just that it takes more then just knowing a programming language.
 
Chris_BR said:
Realistically I'm in the 'I have no idea what I want to study' boat (have been here for a while) but I need to get serious about something come Fall. And computer science (or a related field) seems interesting. But I think it just comes down to choosing something and sticking with it? :laughing
Click to expand...

Programming (well) is hard, and takes a lot of time to learn, both with reading and practicing.

The only way to stay motivated is to have an end goal you are passionate about to work towards. If you are into games, try taking steps towards moding one. If you are into web apps, start making one. You will need something to keep you motivated through all the boring dry technical stuff you have to shove into your head.

As for a Comp Sci degree, something to keep in mind is computer science at its core is the study and (mathematical) analysis of algorithms. This means you would be doing as much math as you would be doing programming at the university level.

You can definitely find work without a degree in the bay area, but you will need provable skills and experience to compensate.
 
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