Learning was Re: [geeks] Am I getting too old or something.....

[Dave McGuire]

On July 16, Jennifer Sharp wrote:
> I just dislike being told how I should do something when I have tried it
> that way several times. I know how I learn best and that is not the way.

  Many times I've fielded questions about "getting started" at being
more than a casual computer user.  In nearly all cases, when they
can't wrap their brain around something, the problem seems to be that
they're not starting "back" far enough conceptually.

  I'm not suggesting starting by studying the physics of how electrons
move through wires...but I WOULD suggest learning about what a
microprocessor is and how they work.  Have James dig you up a
single-board computer with a hex keypad & display, and key in some
hand-assembled programs that just blink lights or count or something.

  It may sound like a lot of nitty-gritty to go through...but starting
from a point that far back, you'll be able to develop a level of
understanding of computer technology that probably 80% of the
"computer people" in the world will NEVER, EVER, EVER be able to
grok.  Armed with that level of understanding, you will be able to
decipher pretty much anything in this field...master any new processor
architecture, any new bus technology, any new programming language,
any new "general methodology" (I mean stuff like XML)...In short, you
will become self-sufficient.

  The morons who go to classes and have MCSE study material crammed
into their heads have one big disadvantage...they only know what
someone else has taught them, they can't learn on their own and adapt
to this [ever-changing] industry, and most importantly, they've
conditioned themselves to only BE ABLE TO learn what someone else
teaches them.

  Self-sufficiency and the ability to learn on one's own (or at least
outside of a spoon-fed classroom environment) is of paramount
importance in this field.

         -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire                  "Needing a calculator indicates that
St. Petersburg, FL              your .emacs file is incomplete." -Joshua Boyd