7 ms·

But how much cheaper is it to learn a profitable skill? In the 1980s I’d have had a much harder time learning to code. I learned essentially for free. A traditi

by wincy 7y ago

But how much cheaper is it to learn a profitable skill? In the 1980s I’d have had a much harder time learning to code. I learned essentially for free. A traditional, hand holding education is more expensive, but information is virtually free.

ken 7y ago
You picked one skill -- computer programming -- which just happens to be the one the internet is built on. It should come as no surprise that the internet is a great place to learn that for free. The further you get from that, the worse teacher the internet is. There are many skills I've learned which are hard to find information about online, and a few which don't seem to exist on the internet at all. Not every profession has someone who took the time to sit down and put all their knowledge on the internet for free. Some fields are just getting around to putting it in books.
- Kiro 7y ago
  > There are many skills I've learned which are hard to find information about online, and a few which don't seem to exist on the internet at all. Do you have any examples? Sounds like an opportunity.
- baddox 7y ago
  I think that very well may be true, but it definitely doesn’t match my own intuition based on what I’ve seen. I have seen extensive educational videos for free online about math, art (digital, painting, etc.), music (theory, composition, orchestration, specific instruments, production, etc.), writing, electronics, 3D printing, plumbing, construction and home repair, woodworking, language learning, aviation, filmmaking (visual effects, cinematography, acting, directing, screenwriting, etc.), marketing, entrepreneurship, investing and financial advice, etc.
  - DanBC 7y ago
    The difficulty is sorting out the terrible videos from the good videos. There's plenty of content created by people who don't really know what they're doing, or who only have a rudimentary understanding. I guess that's true of all education, but it feels like a bigger problem with free online content.
    - icebraining 7y ago
      Yes, having choice creates more problems with choosing :) previously you might just have been stuck with the terrible ones.
    - glouwbug 7y ago
      I find anything diy on YouTube to be of greater quality the worse quality the production is.
- ReptileMan 7y ago
  For every hobby now there is a least one big watering hole that the prosumers gather into and it is full of amazing info and how to tutorials. Right now you can become good enough in any skill with two week deliberate practice.
- mikekchar 7y ago
  This is true and cheese making is one of those things. However, I have learned an amazing amount about cheesemaking simply from reading wikipedia, learning chemistry from Kahn academy, reading patents, reading papers that are online. watching videos of tours of creameries on Youtube and asking questions to professional cheesemakers that happen to be available on social media. I reckon if I wanted to become a professional it would be within my reach if I was willing to put in enough effort (and had enough capital ;-) ). I doubt there are many professions that are not accessible (possibly making bamboo whisks for green tea ceremonies -- there are only 18 people in all of Japan who make them ;-) ). It's an incredible time to be alive.
filmfact 7y ago
Blooms 2 Sigma problem [1] suggests that while it is cheaper to get access to the material, you’ll do better if taught by an expert tutor. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom%27s_2_sigma_problem https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom%27s_2_sigma_problem
- ovi256 7y ago
  Wow, that effect size. I'm amazed that the implications haven't been pursued vigorously, as it's so rare to get such an effect size in a clean, non-controversial (compromised methodology) experiment. As far as I can see, there's not much controversy around this result.
kstenerud 7y ago
I learned it from the K&R and Mapping the Amiga I checked out of the local library, and a Heathkit manual I had from somewhere. Of course I didn't learn the programming discipline until college many years later, and it shows in my early code.
erikstarck 7y ago
That’s because you’re not actually paying for the education itself but access to the network of people who also can afford it plus the brand name of the institute.
bsanr2 7y ago
The problem today isn't access to information, it's access to time and focus. Because wages are so low and basic costs so high, it is very difficult for people who didn't manage to stay on the 1st-class career track to make way for development without jeopardizing their health, well-being, or job in the immediate future.
- duelingjello 7y ago
  And yet most of those people have their consent manufactured, buying into scapegoating of slaves even worse off than them (homeless, foreigners, minorities, etc.), vote against their own interests and believe that socialism and welfare for anyone other than the very rich is as repugnant as pedophilia.
Joeboy 7y ago
I learned to code well enough to get a job for free in the '90s and it was certainly much, much easier than it would be now.

by wincy 7y ago

ken 7y ago

You picked one skill -- computer programming -- which just happens to be the one the internet is built on. It should come as no surprise that the internet is a great place to learn that for free. The further you get from that, the worse teacher the internet is. There are many skills I've learned which are hard to find information about online, and a few which don't seem to exist on the internet at all. Not every profession has someone who took the time to sit down and put all their knowledge on the internet for free. Some fields are just getting around to putting it in books.

Kiro 7y ago
> There are many skills I've learned which are hard to find information about online, and a few which don't seem to exist on the internet at all. Do you have any examples? Sounds like an opportunity.
baddox 7y ago
I think that very well may be true, but it definitely doesn’t match my own intuition based on what I’ve seen. I have seen extensive educational videos for free online about math, art (digital, painting, etc.), music (theory, composition, orchestration, specific instruments, production, etc.), writing, electronics, 3D printing, plumbing, construction and home repair, woodworking, language learning, aviation, filmmaking (visual effects, cinematography, acting, directing, screenwriting, etc.), marketing, entrepreneurship, investing and financial advice, etc.
- DanBC 7y ago
  The difficulty is sorting out the terrible videos from the good videos. There's plenty of content created by people who don't really know what they're doing, or who only have a rudimentary understanding. I guess that's true of all education, but it feels like a bigger problem with free online content.
  - icebraining 7y ago
    Yes, having choice creates more problems with choosing :) previously you might just have been stuck with the terrible ones.
  - glouwbug 7y ago
    I find anything diy on YouTube to be of greater quality the worse quality the production is.
ReptileMan 7y ago
For every hobby now there is a least one big watering hole that the prosumers gather into and it is full of amazing info and how to tutorials. Right now you can become good enough in any skill with two week deliberate practice.
mikekchar 7y ago
This is true and cheese making is one of those things. However, I have learned an amazing amount about cheesemaking simply from reading wikipedia, learning chemistry from Kahn academy, reading patents, reading papers that are online. watching videos of tours of creameries on Youtube and asking questions to professional cheesemakers that happen to be available on social media. I reckon if I wanted to become a professional it would be within my reach if I was willing to put in enough effort (and had enough capital ;-) ). I doubt there are many professions that are not accessible (possibly making bamboo whisks for green tea ceremonies -- there are only 18 people in all of Japan who make them ;-) ). It's an incredible time to be alive.

filmfact 7y ago

Blooms 2 Sigma problem [1] suggests that while it is cheaper to get access to the material, you’ll do better if taught by an expert tutor. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom%27s_2_sigma_problem https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom%27s_2_sigma_problem

ovi256 7y ago
Wow, that effect size. I'm amazed that the implications haven't been pursued vigorously, as it's so rare to get such an effect size in a clean, non-controversial (compromised methodology) experiment. As far as I can see, there's not much controversy around this result.

kstenerud 7y ago

I learned it from the K&R and Mapping the Amiga I checked out of the local library, and a Heathkit manual I had from somewhere. Of course I didn't learn the programming discipline until college many years later, and it shows in my early code.

erikstarck 7y ago

That’s because you’re not actually paying for the education itself but access to the network of people who also can afford it plus the brand name of the institute.

bsanr2 7y ago

The problem today isn't access to information, it's access to time and focus. Because wages are so low and basic costs so high, it is very difficult for people who didn't manage to stay on the 1st-class career track to make way for development without jeopardizing their health, well-being, or job in the immediate future.

duelingjello 7y ago
And yet most of those people have their consent manufactured, buying into scapegoating of slaves even worse off than them (homeless, foreigners, minorities, etc.), vote against their own interests and believe that socialism and welfare for anyone other than the very rich is as repugnant as pedophilia.

Joeboy 7y ago

I learned to code well enough to get a job for free in the '90s and it was certainly much, much easier than it would be now.