[Tutor] Seattle PyCamp 2011

[Noah Hall]

On Sun, Jun 19, 2011 at 6:47 PM, Chris Calloway <cbc at unc.edu> wrote:
> On 6/17/2011 11:03 PM, Noah Hall wrote:
>>
>> On Sat, Jun 18, 2011 at 2:15 AM, Steven D'Aprano<steve at pearwood.info>
>>  wrote:
>>>
>>> Noah Hall wrote:
>>>
>>>> Just a note, but are these questions jokes?
>>>>
>>>>> Know how to use a text editor (not a word processor, but a text
>>>>> editor)?
>>>>> Know how to use a browser to download a file?
>>>>> Know how to run a program installer?
>>>>
>>>> If not, then I'd consider removing them. This isn't 1984.
>>>
>>> I think the questions are fine. It indicates the level of technical
>>> knowledge required -- not much, but more than just the ability to sign in
>>> to
>>> AOL.
>>>
>>> In 1984 the newbies didn't know anything about computers *and knew they
>>> didn't know*, but now you have people who think that because they can
>>> write
>>> a letter in Microsoft Office and save as HTML, they're expert at
>>> programming.
>>>
>>> I wish I were joking but I've had to work for some of them.
>>
>> That's true, I suppose, but in that case the rest of the questions are
>> out of place.
>>
>> I believe that someone who knows what environmental variables are and
>> how to change them is a huge step up from someone who knows how to
>> *download things*.
>>
>
> Mr. Hall,
>
> I've taught Python to over a thousand students. And these questions, which
> are on the PyCamp site and not in the previous email to this list, are not
> only not the slightest bit out of place or jokes, but rather necessary. We
> didn't start out asking these questions of prospective students. They were
> developed from experience.
>
> As far as 1984, plenty of people in 1984 knew what environment variables
> were and how to change them without knowing how to use a browser to download
> anything. :) What is a "step up" is a matter of perspective. We get not a
> lot but plenty enough people coming to PyCamp whose last experience with
> using a computer was 1984. It's simple courtesy to warn those people of what
> to expect.
>
> Thank you for your concern.

1984 was not to be taken literally, of course. ;)


Well, if you decide that in this day and age that asking whether
someone knows how to use a browser to download files, or if someone
knows how to install a program, then that's entirely up to you. I am
merely in disbelief that you could find someone these days interested
enough in computers to learn Python, and yet not know how to download
a file. Had they been in jest, I would have understood, you know,
something along the lines of "Want to learn Python? Well, there's only
one thing you need to know - how to read!". But when taking it in
seriousness, I must congratulate you on somehow finding these people;
I had no idea they still existed. ;)

Regards,
Noah.