[Tutor] A slighty off topic question/rant for the experienced.

Yigal Duppen yduppen@xs4all.nl
Tue Dec 17 10:09:05 2002


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> But now, I get to thinking about how many different technologies there =
are
> and how huge the technology industry is. I thought I was on my way to
> becoming a master after I had HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python down. B=
ut
> every day I am being bombarded with news about new technologies that se=
em
> to come out of nowhere and popup overnight.
>
> Do I have the current technologies down? Noooo! I also have to learn Pe=
rl,
> XML, XHTML, DHTML, BTHTML (some new technology that I saw an ad for), a=
nd
> god only knows what other languages and technologies. My question is wh=
ere
> does it end? How much does the average Joe Smoe have to cram his head w=
ith
> before he's a wizard hacker? Ugh...I think my brain's gonna explode...

No worries!
One of the most important things I've learned in the past few years (for =
the=20
record, I started CompSci in 1995) is that most of the time, most of the=20
"cool new stuff" isn't that new. It's just a combination of some old stuf=
f,=20
tied together with a cool label.=20

Take for example the *MLs you mentioned. Once you know XML and HTML, the=20
others (SGML, XHTML, DHTML) are not exciting at all (don't know about=20
BTHTML). Sure, they might have different keywords and such, but the basic=
s=20
are all the same. In this case, a way of expressing data structure in a h=
uman=20
readable easy-to-process manner (XML) and some basic layout techniques (H=
TML,=20
XHTML, LaTeX, Word, even stuff like Quark Xpress).=20

Take for (yet another) example the languages you mentioned. You know C an=
d=20
Python? Then languages such as Java, C++, Smalltalk, Pascal... are just a=
=20
matter of finding the right keywords in a manual and learning the 'right'=
 way=20
of expressing yourself by studying code examples. You know Perl and HTML?=
 Say=20
hello to PHP.=20

And another one: you know how one communication protocol (such TCP/IP) wo=
rks?=20
The rest ain't that different. Sure, they might use different names, slig=
htly=20
different algorithms or whatever, but essentially they're not that differ=
ent.

It seems to be the same with natural languages; once you know a few langu=
ages,=20
getting to know more becomes so much easier.=20

So my advice:
1. No worries.
2. Whenever you read about a 'cool new technology', glance at it and don'=
t do=20
anything with it until you feel you need it.=20
3. No worries.
4. Don't get intimidated. No one knows everything about every technology.
5. No worries.
6. There's no rule number 6.
7. No worries.

YDD
- --=20
http://www.xs4all.nl/~yduppen
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