I dunno. I started programming on the web, with JavaScript. The very first thing I did was make an admittedly trivial interactive web site. Of course, I didn't

I dunno. I started programming on the web, with JavaScript. The very first thing I did was make an admittedly trivial interactive web site. Of course, I didn't set out to "learn programming", I set out to make a website. Still, if I was able to fairly easily pick HTML/CSS/JavaScript up and do stuff I found cool in sixth grade, it has to have a pretty low barrier to entry. This is especially true because I never was a hard worker :P That said, I think starting from SICP instead of outdated JavaScript tutorials would have been more awesome. But maybe more difficult. And really, all that stuff: Linux, SICP, Emacs (I'm too cool for Vi :)) was easier than it was made out to be. People say Linux is difficult, but I found it about as easy to pick up as Windows and easier that OS X. After all that rambling, I think I lost my point. All I really have to say is that, in my experience, it's easier than it seems as long as you don't let people intimidate you ("ooh, Linux is difficult" and other nonsense like that).