[Tutor] A slighty off topic question/rant for the experienced
.
alan.gauld@bt.com
alan.gauld@bt.com
Tue Dec 17 12:20:02 2002
This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand
this format, some or all of this message may not be legible.
------_=_NextPart_001_01C2A5F0.61B5A8E0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
> I'm feeling quite overwhelmed about programming.
If it's any consolation, so do most professional programmers.
After a while you just give up trying to know it all and
focus on the areas where you earn your pennies. Even that
is a tough load - but that's one reason programmers get
paid so much. We are in the fastest moving industry of
all time.
> 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.
Yeah, I thought assembler, pascal and Smalltalk was a good starter and
once I got Unix scripting and C++ that would just about do it for me... :-)
> Do I have the current technologies down?
And you never will. What is current today will be passe in 5 years or less.
Look at my list above, how many of those are still hot topics? I'm talking
about 1988 - only 14 years ago.
> My question is where does it end?
You gotta hope it doesn't - its what keeps the paychecks high!
> How much does the average Joe Smoe have to cram his head with before
> he's a wizard hacker?
Actually not as much as you think. To be a wizard its better to know a few
key
skills really well than to know a little of everything! My pesonal wizard
list would be,
in approximate order:
1. C
2. C++ and/or Java
3. Unix shell scripting(Korn by preference)
4. A scripting language - Python maybe?
5. SQL for databases
6. HTML and XML
You need a familiarity with some other things like
Lisp(or some other FP language), Perl, some Web principles, any GUI
toolkit...
But you don't need to be an expert, just familiar.
Then finally become a guru in some particular area - databases, GUIs,
network programming, OS kernels, device drivers, whatever...
Its not easy, it takes a lot of time and study. But better than trying to
learn everything.
> Ugh...I think my brain's gonna explode...
KABOOOM!!!
- mine just did... :-)
Alan g.
Author of the 'Learning to Program' web site
http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld
<http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld>
------_=_NextPart_001_01C2A5F0.61B5A8E0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 5.50.4807.2300" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff> > </FONT></SPAN>I'm feeling quite overwhelmed about
programming.<SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff>If
it's any consolation, so do most professional
programmers.</FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff>After a while you just give up trying to know it all and
</FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff>focus on the areas where you earn your pennies. Even that
</FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff>is
a tough load - but that's one reason programmers get
</FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff>paid so much. We are in the fastest moving industry of
</FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff>all
time.</FONT> </SPAN><BR><BR><SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial color=#000000>>
</FONT> </FONT></SPAN>But now, I get to thinking about how many different
technologies there are <SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff>> </FONT> </SPAN>and how huge the technology industry is.
I thought I was on my way to <SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff>> </FONT> </SPAN>becoming a master after I had HTML, CSS,
JavaScript, and Python down. <SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002>Yeah, I thought assembler, pascal and
Smalltalk was a good starter and </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002>once I got Unix scripting and C++ that
would just about do it for me... :-)</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff> > </FONT></SPAN>Do I have the current technologies
down? <SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002>And you never will. What is current today
will be passe in 5 years or less.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002>Look at my list above, how many of those
are still hot topics? I'm talking </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002>about 1988 - only 14 years
ago.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT
size=2>><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"> My question is where does it
end? <SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>You gotta hope it doesn't - its what keeps the
paychecks high!</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>> </SPAN>How much does the average Joe Smoe
have to cram his head with before <SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff>></FONT> </SPAN>he's a wizard hacker? <SPAN
class=610431117-17122002><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000ff> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>Actually not as much as you think. To be a wizard its
better to know a few key </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>skills really well than to know a little of everything!
My pesonal wizard list would be,</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>in approximate order:</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>1. C</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>2. C++ and/or Java</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>3. Unix shell scripting(Korn by
preference)</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>4. A scripting language - Python
maybe?</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>5. SQL for databases</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>6. HTML and XML</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>You need a familiarity with some other things
like</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>Lisp(or some other FP language), Perl, some Web
principles, any GUI toolkit...</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>But you don't need to be an expert, just
familiar.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>Then finally become a guru in some particular area -
databases, GUIs, </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>network programming, OS kernels, device drivers,
whatever...</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>Its not easy, it takes a lot of time and study. But
better than trying to learn everything.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT lang=0 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>> </SPAN>Ugh...I think my brain's gonna
explode...</FONT></FONT> </FONT><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff
size=2><SPAN class=610431117-17122002> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002><FONT face=Arial color=#000000
size=3>KABOOOM!!!</FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002><FONT face=Arial color=#000000
size=3></FONT></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff><SPAN class=610431117-17122002><FONT
face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>- mine just did...
:-)</FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002>
<P><FONT size=2>Alan g.<BR>Author of the 'Learning to Program' web site<BR><A
target=_blank
href="http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld">http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld</A></FONT>
</P></SPAN></FONT><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=610431117-17122002> </SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
------_=_NextPart_001_01C2A5F0.61B5A8E0--