2 ms·

Unless your startup is teaching programming via brain implants I'm not sure what your contention is. Yes, you need free time to develop new skills. They couldn'

by ng12 9y ago

Unless your startup is teaching programming via brain implants I'm not sure what your contention is. Yes, you need free time to develop new skills. They couldn't rightly be called skills otherwise.

KirinDave 9y ago
> Teaching is not the problem. Anyone can pick up a free online book (I like to recommend SICP or HTDP) and learn everything they need to be a professional programmer. This is very obviously false when you look into the data. It's as false as saying, "Anyone can get a gym membership and stay in good health." It's just not accurate or true, it glosses over a lot of things that should not be glossed over.
- ng12 9y ago
  That sounds like something somebody trying to sell me a $200/month Equinox membership would say. Sure, maybe some people learn better with mentorship or structured classes -- but those generally cost money and/or more time. The important thing is the resources are out there: it's an amazing thing that you can become a talented engineer entirely through self-study. How many fields can you say that about?
  - KirinDave 9y ago
    Is it really amazing that if you spend 10x the time you need to you can become as good as someone e with a good guided study program? That seems very normal to me. But sure. Evidently now working in education is a conflict of interest to education. Right.
    - ng12 9y ago
      10x seems like a clear exaggeration -- but that would depend on whatever the "good guided study program" costs. Especially since I know many bootcamps that cost thousands of dollars to churn out unemployable developers.
      - KirinDave 9y ago
        If I look at what I did without a boot camp it's more like 50x. I've been at this since I was 6 and I'm nearly 40. For something like web app development I'm not sure I really have a 50x advantage over someone who went to a specialist vocational camp.

2 ms·

Unless your startup is teaching programming via brain implants I'm not sure what your contention is. Yes, you need free time to develop new skills. They couldn'

by ng12 9y ago

Unless your startup is teaching programming via brain implants I'm not sure what your contention is. Yes, you need free time to develop new skills. They couldn't rightly be called skills otherwise.

KirinDave 9y ago
> Teaching is not the problem. Anyone can pick up a free online book (I like to recommend SICP or HTDP) and learn everything they need to be a professional programmer. This is very obviously false when you look into the data. It's as false as saying, "Anyone can get a gym membership and stay in good health." It's just not accurate or true, it glosses over a lot of things that should not be glossed over.
- ng12 9y ago
  That sounds like something somebody trying to sell me a $200/month Equinox membership would say. Sure, maybe some people learn better with mentorship or structured classes -- but those generally cost money and/or more time. The important thing is the resources are out there: it's an amazing thing that you can become a talented engineer entirely through self-study. How many fields can you say that about?
  - KirinDave 9y ago
    Is it really amazing that if you spend 10x the time you need to you can become as good as someone e with a good guided study program? That seems very normal to me. But sure. Evidently now working in education is a conflict of interest to education. Right.
    - ng12 9y ago
      10x seems like a clear exaggeration -- but that would depend on whatever the "good guided study program" costs. Especially since I know many bootcamps that cost thousands of dollars to churn out unemployable developers.
      - KirinDave 9y ago
        If I look at what I did without a boot camp it's more like 50x. I've been at this since I was 6 and I'm nearly 40. For something like web app development I'm not sure I really have a 50x advantage over someone who went to a specialist vocational camp.