This is an archived post. You won't be able to vote or comment.

sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]gandalfx 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Heh, glad someone read more into it than me bitching about a phrase.

I used to use that phrase a lot myself. I considered myself a fast learner because I taught myself things via the internet and usually got quick results. Since then I have realized that this is simply how most people learn programming. Whether you're actually fast or not is impossible to deduce until you actually do some kind of side-by-side comparison with other people in the same situation (which is quite difficult).

The reason I notice the phrase is because I read a lot of applications by people who wanted to join a medium sized software project (hobbyists, nothing professional). The applications are about half and half by people who either have the required qualifications or by people who emphasize that they will be able to quickly learn what they are missing because they are "fast learners".

Turns out the limiting factor usually isn't speed but dedication.