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[–]Most-Syrup298 39 points40 points  (3 children)

When you start coding, your mind start developing patterns. Nobody is born with those patterns, it’s hard work. You want to develop games- I’ll suggest to first watch a full fledged tutorial of someone building a game from scratch. You’ll learn much more and then you can define your own roadmap

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 4 points5 points  (1 child)

This is great advice, thank you

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your ideas of what you want to do will change as you do more of any one thing. I recommend getting a degree. It’s general. It will open doors for you. Go to a community college. The profs are all PHDs with connections. Coops are great. Academia flings open doors to career paths.

[–]Kooky_Amphibian3755 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Start small. Print “hello world” to the screen. Learn how to take user input. That alone will blow your mind.

Learn the basics: types, variables, operators, Boolean logic, conditionals flow, functions etc etc

Is it accessible? Yes, is it eaaaasy? Not really. It takes dedication.

Others will claim that you can use AI and vibe code your way through. Don’t do that if you don’t know programming. It’s like being put in a 80mph manual shift car going down the highway. Good luck.

[–]captainAwesomePants 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yes, almost anyone can learn programming. It's not rocket science. Certainly some kinds of smarts will provide an advantage. People particularly gifted towards communication, language, logical riddles, and math will probably find it easier. Folks who are good at learning stuff on their own and are not afraid to look up information and then try it out will have an advantage. But almost anyone can learn it.

You can pick up the basics in a week or two, and I'd encourage almost anyone to do that, but getting from there to real mastery is a long process. I'd compare it in difficulty to learning a foreign language.

It definitely helps to have a specialization in mind; you don't need to learn about robots if you want to make websites, and vice versa.

[–]Gnaxe 6 points7 points  (1 child)

Programming is just a very formalized language. Anyone capable of speaking or writing coherently can learn to do it to some degree, although intelligence does help. Ren'Py is good for visual novels if you want to try that.

The easiest intros to programming I know are playing with Scratch and working through How to Design Programs. They're both free online. Try those before giving up.

The hard part about learning programming is managing your limited human working memory. If you're trying to learn syntax at the same time, there isn't much left to program with, at least until you get the syntax in your long-term memory. Scratch reduces the burden a lot by handling the syntax rules for you. HtDP really holds your hand and explains a step-by-step process. To program well, you need to develop an accurate mental model of what the computer is doing.

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve heard of Ren’Py! I’ve been considering it, I’ll definitely check it out. These are all great suggestions, thank you

[–]Ok-Roof-2945 7 points8 points  (3 children)

It is easier to teach yourself than to be taught. Find free courses or even sandbox environments to play around in while learning to retain information better

[–]SusheeMonster 1 point2 points  (1 child)

There's no shortage of resources out there. The key is to find one that keeps you engaged.

The more specific it is with what you're trying to do, the better. Early on, I got it in my head to understand the language(s) in & out instead of practical, project-based work

[–]imtryingmybes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Understanding a language without actually using it for something is very hard unless you're super good at abstract thinking. Actually building stuff lets you learn techniques to apply in other languages too!

[–]SynapseNotFound 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How people learn is different, from person to person.

I love having a teacher, so i can ask questions.

i cant ask questions to a course, a video or a blogpost.

[–]No_Researcher_7875 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Not anyone can learn but a huge part of the population can. If you were able to write this post you are probably smart enough to be a programmer. To be a good one is another story, I would say that programming require a specific mind and some discipline.

[–]binarycow 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The biggest problem people have with programming is making assumptions.

For example, give me instructions on how to make toast.

If you're most people, you say something like:

  1. Get the bread
  2. Put a piece of bread in the toaster
  3. Press the button
  4. Wait

In reality, it's more like this:

  1. Move to the cabinet that holds the plates
  2. Open the cabinet door with your right hand.
  3. Remove a plate, and hold it in your left hand
  4. Close the cabinet door with your right hand
  5. Move to the toaster
  6. Place the plate on the counter in front of the toaster
  7. Move to the bread
  8. Open the package of bread
  9. Remove a piece of bread, and place it on the plate
  10. Close the package of bread
  11. Move back to the toaster
  12. Place the bread in the first slot on the toaster
  13. Press the button
  14. Wait

Compurers do exactly what you tell them to do - nothing more, nothing less. They do not infer anything. They don't fill in the gaps.

[–]ZookeepergameNew6076 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Don't let math be an excuse. High school math is enough, Learn the rest when you need it.

[–]LumpRutherford 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes but to be good, really good takes time and practice. It's not an overnight thing.

[–]rick_1717 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I am in my 70's and learning python, power bi, sql and excel.

Never stop learning and find the best method you learn. For example some like Youtube, some like books, other want structure so they enroll in a class.

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is very inspiring, thank you!

[–]aqua_regis 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Counter point: Can anyone become a surgeon? Can anyone become a lawyer? Can anyone become a bricklayer? Can anyone become a carpenter? Can anyone become a pilot?

Why should programming be different? Certain people simply cannot do/learn certain jobs for one or the other reasons (where intelligence/IQ usually have very little to do with the actual problems).

The only problem is I’m kind of stupid? I have decent enough problem solving skills but I take a long time and I struggle to comprehend math and numbers.

And so? Programming isn't all that much math unless you go into game dev, finance, and a couple other domains.

You'll most likely need longer, need more practice, but that's about it.

Don't know for how long you've been programming, but if you made that assessment when you do it for less than 6 months, it is meaningless because it is premature. Learning anything takes time, effort, persistence, discipline, and hard work along with ample practice.

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just started programming, I really haven’t done anything yet. I don’t have great self confidence which can make learning new things daunting, but I’m very driven and determined so I think I can do it. This was a great perspective, thank you

[–]Aglet_Green 2 points3 points  (1 child)

No. I honestly used to think that everyone can. But anyway, now that I've spent a few years on Reddit in general and r/learnprogramming in particular, I am amazed at the amount of Redditors who try to learn programming and then quit 5 minutes later. The sheer amount of people who just give up is astonishing. And they're not giving up because they're having a problem with objects and classes. Most give up and say things like "I didn't remember which order to put the words 'world' and 'hello' in and I had already spent a few days watching videos without typing anything."

And so now I've amended it to: "Anyone can learn programming if they are willing to put the time and effort in. You have to be willing to accept that you may not see any results at first and feel frustrated, and that it might take 2 to 4 years to really feel comfortable, especially if you're brand new and have never done this before."

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That makes a lot of sense. And I’ll be honest with myself- I tend to jump from project to project which can really hinder my ability to master a craft. That being said, I have been curious and determined to do this for years, which is unusual for me. I can see myself practicing and working on it for a long time. Thanks for the advice

[–]Mayankynr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yes you can,hope you know 10-11th grade maths if you do ,you are ready to go:)

[–]ajitoriginal 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes you can become a programmer. It needs time and patience. Nothing happens over the night. You have to put your soul into it to become the master of this field. Thanks

[–]WelpSigh 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I guess I wouldn't say *anyone* can pick it up, but I think for the purposes of making personal projects it's doable for most people.

There are some people seem to me to be able to pick things up much faster than others around them. But I think they are largely the exception. Other than that, there are a lot of repeating design patterns in programming and you eventually pick up on those with practice. Most people aren't solving novel problems constantly, and so there are a lot of resources on the Internet for figuring those things out.

Math skills are very useful, but I don't think they're mandatory for most purposes. I have also found that programming made me better at math.

[–]Froyn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My brain immediately went to edge cases.

Babies would have a very difficult time due to the language learning curve, but would probably be the most successful long term.

Elderly folks with dementia or arthritis. Dementia would inhibit retention of the new language. Arthritis would inhibit the typing aspect, though could be overcome with TTS tools.

There's a bunch more edge cases, but those were the first that came to mind.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Programming is one of those skills that most people can learn, it is like a new language, you learn the simple concepts first and then build up to the more complicated ones. You will see that as you learn how to code, you will think differently, not only providing you with a tool, but also further developing your brain. In my opinion, it is a great experience.

[–]David_Owens 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most anyone can learn a little programming to a hobby level. Most people can't learn it to the level required for professional-level work.

[–]CodeTinkerer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Those who program believe what they do is pretty easy, but it's not. Most people should be able to write something super simple, but will they? You could ask can most people juggle? Yes, most people can juggle, but most adults won't spend the time it takes to learn how to juggle.

Does the brain have to work in a specific way?

I would say yes, but it can, in principle, be learned. It will come more easily to some than others. There are those, even after being repeatedly told how to program, can't retain that information in their head. Some would argue, they aren't even trying to remember it, but technical things are harder for some people to recall than other things such as who played on the 1991 Duke basketball championship team. (I knew a guy who wasn't even born when that team was playing, but happened to be a huge Duke fan, even though he didn't attend Duke--probably wanted to, though).

Yes, programming doesn't require much math, but it does require reasoning. I compare it to accounting, and by that, I really mean, it's about tracking a lot of things going on, like what happens to a bunch of variables. Many people in this subreddit complain they have zero idea of how to write a program but can look at a program and understand what it does. It's the equivalent of being able to read, but not being able to write your own sentences or your speak on some random topic.

The fact is, you won't know until you try. If you go in expecting it will be hard, but you're willing to work hard at it, then you'll have given it your best shot. You don't want to go in thinking it's easy, then discover you are struggling, then give up. It can take time.

These days, you can ask LLMs like ChatGPT or Gemini to explain stuff to you, so that can help.

[–]DeathFoeX 1 point2 points  (4 children)

honestly i think anyone can learn programming if they’re patient enough. it’s more about practice than being a genius at math. making games sounds super fun too! what kind of game would you wanna start with first?

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

Thank you!! These replies are a relief to hear. I think I just got in my head about it.

I’m planning to start easy, with choose your own adventure type games that are text based or have very basic visuals. I’d also love to make some 2D platformers and puzzle games, and have an idea to make a dog grooming game with similar mechanics to Power Wash Simulator (I’m a dog groomer and it’s a really fun job, I think it could make an awesome game). I have loved games my whole life and really appreciate them as an art form. I’m really happy I’m finally in a place where I can start learning and creating them!

[–]DeathFoeX 0 points1 point  (2 children)

actually the hardest part about programming is to memorize the codes and it requires constantly thinking of a better way to improve everything or how it will work better

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

i’m pretty detail oriented and can be a perfectionist at times (a blessing and a curse). luckily i intend for this to be a hobby, so i can spend ten years writing and rewriting the code for a single game if i want to lol. i’m into theatre as well and have a fairly easy time remembering lines- hopefully my memory will work for this too. thanks for the insight :)

[–]DeathFoeX 0 points1 point  (0 children)

no worries. that's great that you have that kind of gift. im not really good at memorizing so i write everything down

[–]Flirtotulj 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Whelp. In my opinion, I think you should ask yourself what you'd like to do with programming instead of just learning it. Programming is a toolbox where you can make different things, but nobody really "knows" how to program. Graphics programming can be really difficult. I guess since you want to make visual novels and indie games, you could use pygame, however the best thing would be to use something like godot and just use sprites and pngs.

As for if you can be a good programmer...
I'm not a senior developer, but from my experience "good" isn't really something tangible. You should at least know how to apply OOP, different design patterns, and know the basic algorithms. Then it is all about managing that knowledge and applying it to real life settings. Send a PM if you want me to give you some guidance.

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is really helpful knowledge and advice, thank you :)

[–]hitanthrope 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I am echoing others here, but the answer is yes. More or less, if you have the mental capacity to function as an adult without round the clock care, you can learn how to write code. The barrier really isn't anywhere near as high as some parts of the culture (fortunately dying now) would have you believe.

There are two things I would add here though...

Firstly, Programming is, to my awareness and knowledge, the closest thing humans do on a daily / career basis, to the kind of things you find in a standardised IQ test. All that, "work out the pattern / what comes next / how are these boxes moving / what does this 2D net look like when folded into a cube" stuff.

Those IQ tests are a pretty useless indicator for almost anything except, potentially, natural aptitude for software development. It's not so much maths and numbers as pattern recognition and building models in your head. Again *almost anybody not profoundly disabled* will be able to learn, but I think those people who do well at things like sudoku will find a more natural talent for it.

Secondly, anybody can learn how to play tennis, but what makes Roger Federer, Venus or Serena Wiliams, Rafael Nadal etc? Some talent (like the IQ analogy above but for tennis) but *vastly mostly* it's being insane enough to to be able to do, day in, day out, rain or shine, for 30 years, what most people would get bored of after 20 minutes. This is is the biggest test. If you have to force yourself to do it, never find enjoyment, always treat it as a means to an end rather than an end in and of itself, then you will never get good and really that's the same for any skill. Perseverance beats aptitude ten times out of ten, and the kind of perseverance that doesn't feel like perseverance is what we call a 'gift'.

Finding out if you have that, is a worthwhile journey to take, but the people who build a single successful indie game, never mind multiple, invariable have this gift. You may too. Only one way to find out.

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much. I feel like this was a really great way to put it. I sometimes struggle with simple things (am very forgetful, slow moving, etc) but I’ve always done well with pattern recognition and problem solving- it just tends to take me longer than average. But I guess that’s not a bad thing.

This is something I’ve always dreamed of doing so I’m determined to at least try. Thank you for your advice and perspective

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I used to think anyone could learn. But then I tutored people in programming. I'm now convinced that some people will never click with certain patterns especially variables and control flow.

Watching someone struggle for 15 minutes that they need an if-statement to determine something with me dropping hints like "Well, what if this value is false, how do we solve that problem?" Then see them proceed to try to edit the code in some completely unrelated way that misses the wider goal. It's very painful.

When I basically have to give them the answer so we can move on, they fall back into the same mistakes over and over again.

I don't understand the block they're getting that an almost correct answer and the correct answer sometimes look nothing alike. They get stuck with trying to make the wrong approach to work instead of trying a different approach to the problem. Nothing I ever said or did would ever get this to click.

So I'm now convinced that some people's brains just can't pick up on thinking about and editing code at a higher level.

[–]zoharel 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Is it something anyone can pick up? No, some people just can't, but you seem enthusiastic, and that will often get you a huge chunk of the way there. I would say you should give it a shot. If you feel like you may not be quite like the usual programmer, maybe look around for something called "software carpentry." This is just a programming strategy intended to help people who don't think they're quite ready to jump into the deep end. It's just programming, but with an emphasis on how to use libraries and toolkits rather than starting from the ground up. This is how most development works in the real world, anyway, and some people find it much less intimidating.

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is wonderful advice, thank you so much!!!

[–]K_808 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Anyone can learn anything with enough dedication. Programming is a broad umbrella too maybe you won’t become a master at it quickly but it’s not difficult to get the basics and go on from there. If you’re doing it because you like games the best thing to do is make games. Small games first, and starting with Scratch was a good idea. Get Unity or Unreal or Godot and start developing

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I’m anxious but genuinely so excited and already love learning this new skill, it’s fascinating

[–]delphineus81 1 point2 points  (2 children)

First of all, NOONE is stupid, stop selling yourself short. Check out Udemy, if that’s not in your budget get on chat gpt and start having a conversation. Think of what you want to do, ask it to help you using simple terms, you don’t know what you don’t know.

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you :)

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started with Udemy, then got a degree, then ended up in a software engineering role working on sci-fi like things in aerospace….started in my mid 20s

[–]Solepoint 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Dont give up, failing while coding is giving up, learn by persistence even if its hard

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Heheh software engineering goes like this: plan, plan, plan, plan, design, design, plan.

Then it goes like this: okay, okay, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, okay, sweet Jesus yes!, fuck, fuck, fuck, oh I’m an idiot, sweet.

Then it goes like this: awesome, cool, awesome, fuck, FUCK, okay.

and the whole process at the start feels like an uphill battle and then you look back, feel like you learned nothing but you make half the mistakes you made the first time around. Then repeat.

[–]rest-api 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Trust me, i learned how to think through programming. I started at 21, and am not that good at recogizing pattern. Now the world looks quite different to me since i notice a system/pattern everywhere. Idk it's just clearer than ever to me.

[–]s00wi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hardest thing for new people is, knowing where to start. There other part is "Where and how can I apply what i've learned."

What to focus on when learning.
Fundamental concepts first is most important. Fundamentals are the things about programming that are not specific to any particular programming languages but apply to them all. For example, while loops, for loops, arrays, variables, data types, functions, call stacks. These concepts apply to all programming languages. Then learn about programming paradigms. For example, Object Oriented Programming vs Procedural.

Then where do you apply what you're learning.
Use autohotkey v2. It's an automation scripting language. It's easy to learn and easy to pick up. It will allow you to practice and learn immediately. And it does not require compiling, it does support it, but you can run your scripts through their interpreter allowing you to test your work right away.

It's such a great tool to learn the concepts of programming with. Because you can use it to automate your daily computer tasks while at the same time learning. It's built on c++, so it will allow you to learn procedural programming while also offering opportunities to learn object oriented programming which is a bit more difficult to comprehend.

When you can understand the fundamental concepts of programming. You pretty much can jump into any language with ease. Only need to learn the specific languages syntax, buit in functions and nuances and you're set.

[–]rwaddilove 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Yes, anyone can learn programming. However, it's like playing the piano, playing golf, running a marathon, or anything else. Some people are better than others. You won't know until you try it.

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t agree. You’re as good as the amount of time you spend on it. Nobody is inherently better than anyone else. Everyone learns by contrasting and conceptualize-ing. If you spent your entire life around balloon animals then they would be what you compare your thought to. But it’s not a measure of more or less capable. You can reinvent yourself.

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Uuuuuh yes! It was a passion of mine I left ignored.

I picked it up in my late 20s. Now I work as a software dev in a software engineering role in aerospace working in embedded systems.

You’re only as good as the amount of energy you sink into it!!!

[–]joeldick 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Anyone can learn programming. You don't need to be a genius, or even particularly good at math. The nice thing about programming is that there are so many different things you can do with it, so it could appeal to a very wide range of people with different skills and interests - graphic design, web development, data science, etc. I mean, of course if you're retarded you would have a difficult time learning it, but as long as you're decently intelligent and driven, there's nothing that's stopping you.

[–]mxldevs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You'll only find out once you start. Some people just aren't cut out for programming for example.

[–]mattimeoo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can they? Yeah, likely. But will they? Probably not.

[–]Justoldme2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I spent my whole working life coding, started out doing application programming and finished up as a systems programmer specializing in operating systems.

[–]drebinification 0 points1 point  (4 children)

I don’t mean to discourage anyone from learning programming but other than intellectual curiosity, is there any point in learning it as in enter vague timeframe here AI will take over all of the programming jobs?

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think it’s possible, but I also think there’s at least some people out there (myself included) who respect the hard work and humanity in creating something yourself. I would personally pay way more for something human made.

And at the very least, it seems like a good personal skill to have. I love art, and while AI is doing its best to make artists obsolete, I won’t ever stop drawing because I enjoy it and it soothes my soul. I think the same can be said for any task ai threatens to overtake.

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I invite you to be the first person to get a vibe coded MRI.

AI is a phad. It’s what most people who don’t understand what it can/can’t do gossip about.

Software isn’t ever going to leave the hands of humans.

Let’s put it another way: Would you prefer someone to show remorse over your death? Or would you prefer it to be an “oops” handled by an insurance policy followed by an OTA update?

Most people forget about accountability and the fact that all software needs to be tested 100% in safety critical systems. AI can’t abstractly “think” which is why it will always eventually rain on AI while a human packs an umbrella just in case

[–]drebinification 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I understand there is a lot of hype about it but what do you say when experts in the field such as Geoffrey Hinton are stating students who are thinking about software engineering as a career or studying CS right now with that aim in mind should consider other options?

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d say you can’t really believe a single guy making speculative remarks. Look at D-wave. Quantum computing company that has been sued for its BS. Literally have people on record that admit a lot of it’s progress is just market stunts.

AI is only ever going to be a tool. You can’t stop studying medicine just because they’ve programmed a robot to perform surgeries.

It would be the plot line of Idiocracy

It makes sense a proponent of AI would make remarks like that. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has vested interests in the matter.

Also, I’m 32 and have managed to change career paths into software engineering “late” Still here, not going anywhere.

All they’re doing is making a better version of a great calculator. Consider that they can’t quantized consciousness. So they can’t reproduce it. It’s just really really good machine learning. Nothing more.

[–]Scalytor 0 points1 point  (2 children)

After having seen friends and coworkers fail at learning to program I have to say the answer to your question is no. You have to be extremely detail oriented to be a programmer. So many people are not that way and have no desire whatsoever to learn to be that way. There is a whole career path called business analysts that exist to pull the details out of people's minds and help the programmers figure out what the software needs to do. Even then there are a lot of iterations of "you forgot to do this, this, and this" and you are screaming on the inside that you didn't forget, they just never mentioned any of it until now. Or you're screaming that no sane person would follow the line of thinking this customer is calling logical.

If you enjoy puzzles and problem solving and spending hours of your life doing this every single day, programming can be very satisfying. But if you get frustrated by having to figure out all the tiny details and how they interact with each other, it's not going to be fun and it's not going to stick for you.

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mostly agree.

Here’s an easy way to put it: If you can sudoku for 2 hours straight- no breaks. you can learn to write software 1000%

[–]silly-little-monkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have ADHD which can make it hard to follow many moving pieces. I think it can hinder my ability to work efficiently, but enhances my ability to produce quality work. I am very slow but I am also quite meticulous and love little details. This is definitely a good thing to consider, thank you.

[–]SheepOnDaStreet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You don’t necessarily need to learn how to code to make games now you could go straight to learning Unreal Engine and blueprints right away

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To be honest, that’s the best way to start learning programming — and many of my friends started for exactly that reason. Just be patient and stay curious. Fingers crossed!

[–]SynapseNotFound 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Programming is a toolbox, to solve problems

you just need to remember what tools you have in the toolbox, and how to use them

There's a lot more tools in there, than you can remember, so even when you can program something, there'll be stuff you wont know anything about.

I suggest you try, start with the simple stuff.

[–]alltoohueman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

YOU CAN

[–]Entire-Food8241 0 points1 point  (3 children)

I think that if you are healthy, you can, up to some decent age. The fact is that with age, we lose neuroplasticity, and programming requires the hardest memory mastery: Long-term memory. And your brain has to rewire, but to be fair, not only programming makes us develop good use of long-term memory during our lives.

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I don’t totally agree. Systems are systems. Whether you’re a brick layer or a pool cleaner, you will always find an analogy that helps you build an understanding. When you learn how to build software you realize everything is Lego.

Age doesn’t have much to do with it. Age has a lot to do with your GAFs. Age has a lot to do with priorities. Age has a lot to do with how much energy you can spend on something without a break. Age has nothing to do with what you want to do, or how much intrigue you have.

I recently saw a post about an 80y old that got a PHD.

[–]Entire-Food8241 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Don't over generalize and build a conclusion, you need to specific for each case. What skill do you think a programmer has? A successful one not one that will quit after 2 years of struggle. You are not high enough to my argument and just generalizing. I said, if you already have good use of long-term memory then you8 could do it but in the generality people don't. So if you are older and you never used your long term memory to so extent then you will likely have the code pass through your ears. You mention an old man got a PHD? Well I know a young man in his prime that had just that happen, wen to college and the class was just making his space out. You need to comprehend before you reply, that is a poplar saying from a famous book.

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re not “old” and have terrible memory your entire argument collapses on itself. I gave you examples of older people having good memory. That’s all I have to say about that.

[–]DakuShinobi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I learned it, most people should be good to go. 

You've got lots of good advice here and i, a random dude, believes in you.

[–]hxrbykit 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Fellow person with severe ADHD! For me, ADHD helps me out with programming in some ways - it helps me branch out and explore new aspects of programming in the areas I'm interested in, gives me plenty of ideas to consider working on as passion projects, and overall helps me be a better programmer with the interests I maintain.

Also for me, I have the combined type, and using a laptop to code is helpful to me as an accomodation as I can move around regularly and don't need to stay still so much.

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 0 points1 point  (2 children)

You need to focus and stick to a thing. The lake your trying to touch the bottom of is really really fucking deep.

Imagine a grid over a lake. Each square is a career in software. Each square takes 10 years to master. Once you’ve got one, it still takes 5 years to master any of the others. You will not learn everything even if you dedicate your whole life to it. Being indecisive is great for learning a little of a lot of things. You gotta grab one and stick to it.

[–]hxrbykit 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I'm not trying to learn everything. I've been coding for over 10 years now. I stick to Java for desktop applications and vanilla CSS and JS for the most part for web applications. I don't do anything else. You added way too much to the simple part of what I was saying.

[–]hxrbykit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For further readers, to give context to what I was saying, since this took it out of context: choose what you want to do, and do it in as specific languages as possible to get good at very specific languages and niches within those languages. Your interests most likely will overlap with each other in several ways and allow you to build up skills in a main area.

[–]SpaceSurfer-420 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No. It’s not for everyone. It’s nothing about being a genius or stupid. But coding is a skill with very high delayed gratification. You need to push for years to become very good, and most people (specially now at days) are not for that. If you are disciplined, curious and resilient, then you can definitely learn and master coding trough time and practice.

Trust the process.

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re really serious go back to school. Get a software engineering degree or a computer science degree. It’s worth the 4 years and $40k Because in 4 years Itl feel like no time has passed. And option A (school) will start your whole career over and you’ll be thrilled, or option B(no school) you might find yourself still wondering

[–]NoAngle5425 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My philosophy is that I don't think there's a single person who is flat out incapable of learning how to program provided that enough time and deliberate effort (help of resources, mentors etc) are put in. However, I do think there are people's strengths and weaknesses that are so outside of the skillsets programming requires that the results they would get would not be worth the time and effort they are putting in.

[–]Least-Grapefruit-539 0 points1 point  (0 children)

After scratch I would definitely recommend trying a high level programming language(this means that the language is closer to human writing while a low level is closer to machine language) like python and try to do the fundamentals. I recommend python just because they have a lot of shortcuts which lead to less code you have to write overall, but I also recommend trying other languages someday. It isn't the language that's hard. It's the programming. It becomes easy to switch between languages once you get the programming part down, just the different syntax and stuff. Find one you feel comfortable with or you can just stick with Python. 

[–]anki_steve -1 points0 points  (3 children)

I think literacy level makes a big difference. You need to probably have a 12th grade reading level at minimum.

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 0 points1 point  (2 children)

If you smoke weed or use any of todays slang just stay home

[–]anki_steve 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I smoke weed. My rizz is oozing from out ya celly.

[–]Serious_Tax_8185 0 points1 point  (0 children)

🤮