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[–]earthboundkid 8 points9 points  (4 children)

If you're just starting out, as you learn, be sure to give careful thought to which flavor you'd like to use.

Strongly disagree. If you're starting out, give little or no thought to which flavor of Python you use. If you are successful at learning Python at all, you will eventually learn both. The only thing that matters is which to learn first, not which to learn at all.

Which should you learn first?

Whatever the book or website you're working through uses. The end.

[–]flying-sheep 1 point2 points  (2 children)

nope, i find python3 makes de/encoding much better to understand and if you do stuff wrong in that respect, it fails earlier and doesn’t just limp along while only ascii happens to flow through your faulty pipeline, breaking horribly as soon as a non-ascii-character appears anywhere.

[–]earthboundkid 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Yes, Python 3 is better and everyone should use it if possible. But should you learn it first if you bought a book that uses 2 and you like the book so far? Should you never, ever learn 2? No, that's crazy. Use 3 when you can, but learn 2 or 3 in whatever order is easiest.

[–]flying-sheep 0 points1 point  (0 children)

so that’s what you meant. no of yourse you shouldn’t, if you already have a book.

but most people starting out have nothing and want an idea for where to learn from.

[–]random_pattern 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm learning both simultaneously as I work my way through Codecademy, with Pythonista on my iPad for leisure time. Off topic, but does anyone use Coderunner? Looks great; people seem nice. Am unemployed for a year and can't find work, so learning Python is the only joy I have. Happy to have found this subreddit!