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>can reason trough a simple SQL query or write a non trivial excel formula I can't do that. I have written few very basic python/java programs (maybe 200 line

by vlehto 11y ago

>can reason trough a simple SQL query or write a non trivial excel formula I can't do that. I have written few very basic python/java programs (maybe 200 lines max, very poor irc-bot was my triumph). And at the office I'm the local computer guru. "Let me show you how you can search a string in excel. Note that big and small letters aren't always the same thing." I shit you not. I think over-learning this stuff really doesn't hurt. Maybe people would grasp what is easy to program and what is difficult. These days you sometimes run into attitudes like "we could ask this SQL data as excel chart, but it's probably ten thousand dollar coding project. So we don't even ask."

moonchrome 11y ago
>I can't do that. If you know enough programming to write a IRC bot I think you can. I'm sure you'd figure out how to get data out of some Access like tool - eg. ERP system with tool to build custom query/reports, and I doubt you would have a hard time writing excel formulas with conditions and such. Seeing how you used python if you found a script online that say converted some files you would know how to run that. I'm not saying everyone needs to be a programmer but knowing the basics actually enables you to use computers much more efficiently and considering that computers are used literally everywhere nowdays it translates to productivity and real world problem solving.
- vlehto 11y ago
  Given lots and lots of time, sure. :D I have to admit that so far I have been completely unable to use my coding skills for anything practical. There would have been a situation where HTML chart had to be converted to excel chart. It was way too corrupted to automate in any meaningful way. But coding gives me perspective. If somebody tries to sell software at my job, I get to interview them. Nobody else there is quite as good at spotting computer related bullshit.

by vlehto 11y ago

moonchrome 11y ago

>I can't do that. If you know enough programming to write a IRC bot I think you can. I'm sure you'd figure out how to get data out of some Access like tool - eg. ERP system with tool to build custom query/reports, and I doubt you would have a hard time writing excel formulas with conditions and such. Seeing how you used python if you found a script online that say converted some files you would know how to run that. I'm not saying everyone needs to be a programmer but knowing the basics actually enables you to use computers much more efficiently and considering that computers are used literally everywhere nowdays it translates to productivity and real world problem solving.

vlehto 11y ago
Given lots and lots of time, sure. :D I have to admit that so far I have been completely unable to use my coding skills for anything practical. There would have been a situation where HTML chart had to be converted to excel chart. It was way too corrupted to automate in any meaningful way. But coding gives me perspective. If somebody tries to sell software at my job, I get to interview them. Nobody else there is quite as good at spotting computer related bullshit.