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Actually I wasn't blaming the social news systems at all. In fact I only mentioned them as examples of where I see these links most often. I still contend a be

Actually I wasn't blaming the social news systems at all. In fact I only mentioned them as examples of where I see these links most often. I still contend a beginner practice project can be built around some of these bigger problems. Why not?

mechanical_fish 18y ago
I still contend a beginner practice project can be built around some of these bigger problems. Why not? The essential quality of a beginner practice project is that it is guaranteed to be finished quickly. There are many reasons for this. It's important to get the positive feedback -- the warm glow that comes from a finished thing. Otherwise you just become frustrated and sad and you'll quit instead of sticking around long enough to stop being a beginner. It's important to test the full stack -- you want to practice the stuff that happens near the end of a project as well as the stuff at the beginning. Often it's only when you try to launch the "finished" product that you discover the terrible flaws in your original design. Often, the features of the new tool or technique that you're trying to learn will only make sense after you've experienced every part of the design cycle. As a beginner, you are really underqualified to choose an appropriate project. You have no idea how good you are. You have no idea how hard the hard problems are, or why. Best to make sure that your badly-chosen project is a short and sweet one. Having said all of that: Of course it might be possible to put beginners to work on tiny, solveable, easily-shipped pieces of these larger problems. That's what a teacher's job is. Why don't you write out a set of suggested projects and suggest them to some beginners?
- clintjhill 18y ago
  Not a bad idea.
- HeyLaughingBoy 18y ago
  Two other things to consider: 1) if it's not something you or someone close to you needs or wants, then it won't be a very good beginner project because you will be lacking that immediate positive feedback you spoke of. 2) the bigger problems may be more "useful" but these apps are being submitted to other developers for approval. Most devs won't know that you just solved a major problem in healthcare and will just shrug. If you submit it to a healthcare blog "i did this in one day!" You'll immediately start getting negative feedback from a bunch of non-techies who (as they should) are looking at its usability, not the core technology you implemented. To throw out an idea: two of my "pet projects" that I have yet to work on are a basic inventory system for small manufacturers and a basic job quoting/scheduling system for manufacturers/job shops. Technologically they're both easy and it shouldn't be hard to find people to present them to (despite what so many online think, the US is full of small manufacturing businesses). Unfortunately, neither of them is "fun" so don't make good beginner projects.

mechanical_fish 18y ago

I still contend a beginner practice project can be built around some of these bigger problems. Why not? The essential quality of a beginner practice project is that it is guaranteed to be finished quickly. There are many reasons for this. It's important to get the positive feedback -- the warm glow that comes from a finished thing. Otherwise you just become frustrated and sad and you'll quit instead of sticking around long enough to stop being a beginner. It's important to test the full stack -- you want to practice the stuff that happens near the end of a project as well as the stuff at the beginning. Often it's only when you try to launch the "finished" product that you discover the terrible flaws in your original design. Often, the features of the new tool or technique that you're trying to learn will only make sense after you've experienced every part of the design cycle. As a beginner, you are really underqualified to choose an appropriate project. You have no idea how good you are. You have no idea how hard the hard problems are, or why. Best to make sure that your badly-chosen project is a short and sweet one. Having said all of that: Of course it might be possible to put beginners to work on tiny, solveable, easily-shipped pieces of these larger problems. That's what a teacher's job is. Why don't you write out a set of suggested projects and suggest them to some beginners?

clintjhill 18y ago
Not a bad idea.
HeyLaughingBoy 18y ago
Two other things to consider: 1) if it's not something you or someone close to you needs or wants, then it won't be a very good beginner project because you will be lacking that immediate positive feedback you spoke of. 2) the bigger problems may be more "useful" but these apps are being submitted to other developers for approval. Most devs won't know that you just solved a major problem in healthcare and will just shrug. If you submit it to a healthcare blog "i did this in one day!" You'll immediately start getting negative feedback from a bunch of non-techies who (as they should) are looking at its usability, not the core technology you implemented. To throw out an idea: two of my "pet projects" that I have yet to work on are a basic inventory system for small manufacturers and a basic job quoting/scheduling system for manufacturers/job shops. Technologically they're both easy and it shouldn't be hard to find people to present them to (despite what so many online think, the US is full of small manufacturing businesses). Unfortunately, neither of them is "fun" so don't make good beginner projects.