My first code was vb6. Shoutout to any nerds from the #vb6 private chat on AOL. I made some aol "progz" as we called them--mainly programs that interacted with

My first code was vb6. Shoutout to any nerds from the #vb6 private chat on AOL. I made some aol "progz" as we called them--mainly programs that interacted with the AOL client, sending automated messages or watching for commands. I started building websites in the 90s, that's where I really learned. I wanted a website to exist, so I built it. I learned enough to implement the features I dreamed up. I started in HTML with server-side includes, and moved up to PHP which was my first proper web language. Things we take for granted (databases) were not always known to me--my first projects were all flat files with custom naming schemes. The first code I remember seeing was GORILLA.BAS, in middle school. I began writing BASIC programs in composition notebooks. I don't have the notebooks anymore, and I doubt they would run, but they were choose your own adventure type games. I didn't have a computer until I was 16, though. I also have run linux as my main OS since I was 16, and that exposes you variously to a lot of code, or at least it used to. I've worked professionally as a web dev for many years based on this self-taught experience. I think the best way to learn to code is to build what you want. It will push your limits, but you'll stick with it because you need the thing. Even when you're very experienced, you have to learn new things with new projects. New APIs or libraries, new languages. So get used to it, just dive in and learn what you need to know today. It's easier than ever.