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I'm waiting for an article about "How I Failed, Failed, and Am Still Failing" to provide the flip side in contrast to these success stories we are so biased tow

I'm waiting for an article about "How I Failed, Failed, and Am Still Failing" to provide the flip side in contrast to these success stories we are so biased towards

danso 11y ago
There are plenty of those. Also from The Atlantic: "Should Journalism Schools Require Reporters to 'Learn Code'? No" http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/should-journalism-schools-require-reporters-to-learn-code-no/280711/ http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/should-...
0xdeadbeefbabe 11y ago
Or how I succeeded at coding and then realized I had failed at coding.
logicallee 11y ago
here you go - "So I fired up my IDE and spent an hour, finally getting my C# program to compile. It put out bullshit, I couldn't figure out why. I gave up. Then I fired up my ole' Putty and tried to get into my server to figure out why my database kept giving me an error. I thought about rolling back but couldn't figure out how Chef actually works, even though I set it up. Finally, I had this really cool idea for a javascript game I could code up real quick, and spent an hour in the javascript console trying to figure out why it wouldn't execute. Gave up on that too. I read some forums, there was a cool app to scrape my facebook, I ran it, it just requires Python, but it wouldn't run. Overall I accomplished nothing. Oh, and Chrome is still crashing at the most random times, no idea why." Not quite the story we like to read.
- javajosh 11y ago
  Holy shit you just articulated all of the reasons that hackers value their knowledge - and the very important quality of never giving up. You search. You go on IRC. You get the source and compile it. You step aside and learn a tool better in isolation - then use it on your problem. You poke, prod, test. And your understanding begins to form, to conform to the shape of the problem, the map of what you know, what you've tried, what you have yet to try. You talk to others to fill in the important blank of what you don't know yet to try. Because that story you told is abhorrant, even profane, but all too common.
- marincounty 11y ago
  "Not quite the story we like to read." This is the stories we like to read! A lot of us are procrastinators? I will remember your reaction to a comment. I will now get off HN, and open up my more dusty Folders!
marincounty 11y ago
I think there are a lot of those stories? I know I can't call myself a Programmer yet? I can call myself a website builder though. I can spot errors in other people's Javascript, but I still would never call myself a Programmer. And even though I can put up websites, I not that proud of it? 95% of the learning process was just following directions? I have noticed there's a lot of successful people out there whom hang titles behind their names whom aren't very good at what they do, whether it's Programming, Business, or Whatever Expertise claimed? I sometimes think the key to success is over inflating one's ability, and faking it? I personally know so many extremely wealthy Fakers. Programming is one field I couldn't imagine faking it? I guess my point is I know too many people who literally lied about their abilities, and in the end--Won big time! I sometimes feel the way I was brought up(every Sunday going to church, and feeling very confused) was detrimental to my wallet?? Plus, as a kid, unless we really/really were great at something; we kept our accomplishments/skills to ourselfs. We never got the chance to brag. If we did(brag), someone would literally, usually verbally, smack us, and we never acted overconfident again? I honestly feel being modest, and not chasing the Dollar--held my generation(born 60's-70's) back? (What I saying, I still can't stomach people who over-inflate their abilities, nor go after money too aggressively--especially money from the poor/middle class! The thought of my filthy Looker sister is enough to get me to stop this post. She did some damage to her family over the almighty Dollar--really weaselly stuff. She's rich though?)

I'm waiting for an article about "How I Failed, Failed, and Am Still Failing" to provide the flip side in contrast to these success stories we are so biased towards

danso 11y ago

There are plenty of those. Also from The Atlantic: "Should Journalism Schools Require Reporters to 'Learn Code'? No" http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/should-journalism-schools-require-reporters-to-learn-code-no/280711/ http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/should-...

0xdeadbeefbabe 11y ago

Or how I succeeded at coding and then realized I had failed at coding.

logicallee 11y ago

here you go - "So I fired up my IDE and spent an hour, finally getting my C# program to compile. It put out bullshit, I couldn't figure out why. I gave up. Then I fired up my ole' Putty and tried to get into my server to figure out why my database kept giving me an error. I thought about rolling back but couldn't figure out how Chef actually works, even though I set it up. Finally, I had this really cool idea for a javascript game I could code up real quick, and spent an hour in the javascript console trying to figure out why it wouldn't execute. Gave up on that too. I read some forums, there was a cool app to scrape my facebook, I ran it, it just requires Python, but it wouldn't run. Overall I accomplished nothing. Oh, and Chrome is still crashing at the most random times, no idea why." Not quite the story we like to read.

javajosh 11y ago
Holy shit you just articulated all of the reasons that hackers value their knowledge - and the very important quality of never giving up. You search. You go on IRC. You get the source and compile it. You step aside and learn a tool better in isolation - then use it on your problem. You poke, prod, test. And your understanding begins to form, to conform to the shape of the problem, the map of what you know, what you've tried, what you have yet to try. You talk to others to fill in the important blank of what you don't know yet to try. Because that story you told is abhorrant, even profane, but all too common.
marincounty 11y ago
"Not quite the story we like to read." This is the stories we like to read! A lot of us are procrastinators? I will remember your reaction to a comment. I will now get off HN, and open up my more dusty Folders!

marincounty 11y ago

I think there are a lot of those stories? I know I can't call myself a Programmer yet? I can call myself a website builder though. I can spot errors in other people's Javascript, but I still would never call myself a Programmer. And even though I can put up websites, I not that proud of it? 95% of the learning process was just following directions? I have noticed there's a lot of successful people out there whom hang titles behind their names whom aren't very good at what they do, whether it's Programming, Business, or Whatever Expertise claimed? I sometimes think the key to success is over inflating one's ability, and faking it? I personally know so many extremely wealthy Fakers. Programming is one field I couldn't imagine faking it? I guess my point is I know too many people who literally lied about their abilities, and in the end--Won big time! I sometimes feel the way I was brought up(every Sunday going to church, and feeling very confused) was detrimental to my wallet?? Plus, as a kid, unless we really/really were great at something; we kept our accomplishments/skills to ourselfs. We never got the chance to brag. If we did(brag), someone would literally, usually verbally, smack us, and we never acted overconfident again? I honestly feel being modest, and not chasing the Dollar--held my generation(born 60's-70's) back? (What I saying, I still can't stomach people who over-inflate their abilities, nor go after money too aggressively--especially money from the poor/middle class! The thought of my filthy Looker sister is enough to get me to stop this post. She did some damage to her family over the almighty Dollar--really weaselly stuff. She's rich though?)