Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!news.mixmin.net!feeds.phibee-telecom.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed2a.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.035 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.93; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:Python': 0.06; '"the': 0.07; 'modifying': 0.07; 'beginners': 0.09; 'wrote': 0.14; 'books': 0.15; '1985': 0.16; 'assembler': 0.16; 'crude': 0.16; 'edition.': 0.16; "he'd": 0.16; 'isbn': 0.16; 'lisa': 0.16; 'participate.': 0.16; 'silly': 0.16; 'subject:programming': 0.16; 'way;': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'trying': 0.19; 'slightly': 0.19; 'later': 0.20; 'feb': 0.22; 'appears': 0.22; 'programming': 0.22; 'email addr:gmail.com>': 0.22; 'manual': 0.22; 'to:name:python- list@python.org': 0.22; 'question': 0.24; "i've": 0.25; '>': 0.26; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'tim': 0.29; 'message- id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; 'along': 0.30; "i'm": 0.30; 'asked': 0.31; 'went': 0.31; 'getting': 0.31; 'larry': 0.31; 'pascal': 0.31; 'class': 0.32; 'front': 0.32; 'mac': 0.33; 'third': 0.33; '"the': 0.34; 'basic': 0.35; "can't": 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'there': 0.35; 'himself': 0.36; 'next': 0.36; 'two': 0.37; 'apple': 0.38; 'weekend': 0.38; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'pm,': 0.38; 'bill': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'university': 0.39; 'how': 0.40; 'skip:u 10': 0.60; 'eventually': 0.60; 'tell': 0.60; 'effective': 0.61; 'entire': 0.61; 'name': 0.63; 'myself': 0.63; 'more': 0.64; 'school': 0.64; 'different': 0.65; 'kept': 0.65; 'teach': 0.65; 'book.': 0.68; 'published': 0.71; 'christmas': 0.74; 'life.': 0.83; 'discipline': 0.91; 'graphical': 0.91; 'sitting': 0.91; 'skiing': 0.91; 'taught': 0.96 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; bh=tvfXyr1y2SRY3SFikX0tCFmh0EZ7+Zq+mGtTKeGEVOw=; b=RVf7kDt9b33fSrhhp93/p7wyji4FqEVkes5LQN+JqJo4Ch0vf4Oill4emR0FIk6943 bk7loqL1T0GpMRSE+RWaWme/cAufExPuA99deAPkFlXtXIeSWF7Uj5b4w2lVVbyPCrQQ Ttd8UU5VbgXinb/8+w1cCBQyZmF08Kbk0ExPBTK6OHJQ0+v8wTGuR7fFBRFu1IHp+Lrk DmcwYTLuHxQ1rDj21hR+9HZwQzcjuCfR78VXiHq2THwx4WLGPaXAa1n7MgIjNQoGJzEF TyavLSDLBqaZQ3sFCGFjEt+Gy7npbfUOf6MCbdR2snscSLn+ELql2smOEEPei5TQscrb cTyg== MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.60.174.77 with SMTP id bq13mr26037995oec.0.1392238968934; Wed, 12 Feb 2014 13:02:48 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: References: Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2014 08:02:48 +1100 Subject: Re: Python programming From: Tim Delaney To: "python-list@python.org" Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=089e011825f82f98f604f23be50e X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 106 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1392238971 news.xs4all.nl 2922 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:49665 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:66085 --089e011825f82f98f604f23be50e Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 On 13 February 2014 00:55, Larry Martell wrote: > On Tue, Feb 11, 2014 at 7:21 PM, ngangsia akumbo > wrote: > > Please i have a silly question to ask. > > > > How long did it take you to learn how to write programs? > > My entire life. > > I started in 1975 when I was 16 - taught myself BASIC and wrote a very > crude downhill skiing game. OK - it's degenerated into one of these threads - I'm going to participate. I received a copy of "The Beginners Computer Handbook: Understanding & programming the micro" (Judy Tatchell and Bill Bennet, edited by Lisa Watts - ISBN 0860206947) for Christmas of 1985 (I think - I would have been 11 years old). As you may be able to tell from that detail, I have it sitting in front of me right now - other books have come and gone, but I've kept that one with me. It appears to have been published elsewhere under a slightly different name with a very different (and much more boring) cover - I can't find any links to my edition. My school had a couple of Apple IIe and IIc machines, so I started by entering the programs in the book. Then I started modifying them. Then I started writing my own programs from scratch. A couple of years later my dad had been asked to teach a programming class and was trying to teach himself Pascal. We had a Mac 512K he was using. He'd been struggling with it for a few months and getting nowhere. One weekend I picked up his Pascal manual + a 68K assembler Mac ROM guide, combined the two and by the end of the weekend had a semi-working graphical paint program. A few years after that I went to university (comp sci); blitzed my computer-related classes; scraped by in my non-computer-related classes; did some programming work along the way; was recommended to a job by a lecturer half-way through my third year of uni; spent the next 4 years working while (slowly) finishing my degree; eventually found my way into an organisation which treated software development as a discipline and a craft, stayed there for 10 years learning how to be more than just a programmer; came out the other end a senior developer/technical lead and effective communicator. And that's how I learned to program. Tim Delaney --089e011825f82f98f604f23be50e Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
On 1= 3 February 2014 00:55, Larry Martell <larry.martell@gmail.com>= ; wrote:
On Tue, Feb 11, 2014 at 7:21 PM, ngangsia = akumbo <ngangsia@gmail.com>= wrote:
> Please i have a silly question to ask.
>
> How long did it take you to learn how to write programs?

My entire life.

I started in 1975 when I was 16 - taught myself BASIC and wrote a very
crude downhill skiing game.

OK - it's d= egenerated into one of these threads - I'm going to participate.
<= div>
I received a copy of "The Beginners Computer Handbo= ok: Understanding & programming the micro" (Judy Tatchell and Bill= Bennet, edited by Lisa Watts - ISBN 0860206947) for Christmas of 1985 (I t= hink - I would have been 11 years old). As you may be able to tell from tha= t detail, I have it sitting in front of me right now - other books have com= e and gone, but I've kept that one with me. It appears to have been pub= lished elsewhere under a slightly different name with a very different (and= much more boring) cover - I can't find any links to my edition.

My school had a couple of Apple IIe and IIc machines, s= o I started by entering the programs in the book. Then I started modifying = them. Then I started writing my own programs from scratch.

A couple of years later my dad had been asked to teach a program= ming class and was trying to teach himself Pascal. We had a Mac 512K he was= using. He'd been struggling with it for a few months and getting nowhe= re. One weekend I picked up his Pascal manual + a 68K assembler Mac ROM gui= de, combined the two and by the end of the weekend had a semi-working graph= ical paint program.

A few years after that I went to university (comp sci);= blitzed my computer-related classes; scraped by in my non-computer-related= classes; did some programming work along the way; was recommended to a job= by a lecturer half-way through my third year of uni; spent the next 4 year= s working while (slowly) finishing my degree; eventually found my way into = an organisation which treated software development as a discipline and a cr= aft, stayed there for 10 years learning how to be more than just a programm= er; came out the other end a senior developer/technical lead and effective = communicator.

And that's how I learned to program.

=
Tim Delaney
--089e011825f82f98f604f23be50e--