Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!news.albasani.net!eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Gene Wirchenko Newsgroups: comp.lang.java.help Subject: Re: Free computer books Date: Sun, 09 Oct 2011 19:59:16 -0700 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 25 Message-ID: <1mn4971jo1dn9lo7erje17414kdmr7nkls@4ax.com> References: <14364120.423.1317908234244.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@prmi2> <3hfu87191n79gc4q1n2c32opqpmb92klrl@4ax.com> <20375244.81.1318034305724.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@prcs9> <0cOjq.3147$Gy7.1106@newsfe16.iad> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Injection-Info: mx04.eternal-september.org; posting-host="7Qrvczazr82YckO5XW8Vtw"; logging-data="23315"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1/H4oyAP2/6L59b22W6Xl0abEbTRvtsi7E=" X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 4.2/32.1118 Cancel-Lock: sha1:hFUPQa5KDiOMGSaj4vhoHZvJXdc= Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.java.help:1208 On Fri, 07 Oct 2011 23:03:37 -0300, Arved Sandstrom wrote: [snip] >Although I could be badly mistaken, I have a theory about programming >education in general. My gut feeling is that the natural programmers - >the ones with real aptitude - won't be significantly affected by the >quality of teaching materials. This discussion does not apply to them. How do you know? It might be that someone who would be a natural gets caught on the one point wrong. How many times have you been stuck on a problem and someone points out a solution that you would not have come up with in a long time? After all, we have newsgroups. I have taught newbies. Getting them enough knowledge so that they can continue on their own is critical. It is also tougher than it looks, especially if there is no two-way communication (as, say, with a book). [snip] Sincerely, Gene Wirchenko