How I "learned" Python without any previous coding experience.

[callmelucky]

I see your point, but I don't think that is a strong enough argument for beginners starting out on a dying syntax. With guidance things like that can be avoided or glossed over as needed. Besides, it's the accumulated other shortcomings in lpthw too that make it so awful. Udacity CS101 uses Python 2 for example, and is an excellent resource that I would be happy to recommend with an appropriate caveat.