[Tutor] Writing the right code rite

[Alan Gauld]

On 27/11/2018 00:18, Avi Gross wrote:

> But in watching, I conclude that a subset of the requests come from people
> who are some form of early students and only aware of selected aspects of
> the language. 

One of the challenges of this list is identifying the level of
the requester. We get several general categories:

1) Professional programmers just starting with Python. Often
with a specific project and need a rapid run up the learning
curve. They know all about code and tools they just need to
know how Python does it.

2a) Academic beginners - those learning Python on a course.
These often are not very interested in learning about the
theoretical side of things, or whether there is another way
to tackle the problem, they simply want to get their homework
done. Knowledge level ranges from junior school to under-grad
CS courses.

2b) Advanced students (eg. PhD etc) who may or may not have
previous programming experience but typically need help using
Python for a specific aim. These are often like a cross
between 1 and 2a. They know all about their domain but
possibly have little CS knowledge/experience. They often
assume that NumPy/SciPy are part of the standard library
and that most Python users will know them.

3) Hobbyist programmers - those who learn for fun, maybe just
out of curiosity or to extend some other skill set - such
as working on the Raspberry Pi or with a package like Blender.
These can range from youngsters(pre teen) to seniors(70+).
They usually have zero CS knowledge and are varied in
their enthusiasm for learning the background principles.

We need to identify the skill and knowledge level and learning
goals of each individual and take that into account in our
responses. Figuring that out is often harder than answering
the immediate question!

We just need to remember that they all have the same right
to be here and there are no stupid questions. (Although they
may need some help to ask the right question!)

-- 
Alan G
Author of the Learn to Program web site
http://www.alan-g.me.uk/
http://www.amazon.com/author/alan_gauld
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