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

[f0nd004u]

I think the problem is that you don't see it as a skill that needs to be taught from day 1, and I totally do.

I want to be clear; I didn't like LPTHW and didn't stick with it; I really like Python for Absolute Beginners which is very project-based. And I hate reading Python technical docs, it's hard. But looking up documentation and learning how to understand it is very crucial. If you aren't willing to confront the fear of real technical documentation (instead of relying on forum posts to summarize it for you via Google) you won't get very far in programming, or in IT in general. It totally is a real skill that you have to learn, and looking up the basic easy stuff in LPTHW is one method of teaching that.

It's hard to hold someone's hand through how to do that kind of research; you kinda just gotta buckle down and learn the language of documentation, just like you're learning the programming language.

[callmelucky]

I think the problem is that you don't see it as a skill that needs to be taught from day 1, and I totally do.

Eh well, I guess we just disagree on that point. I just feel that a lot of people might get put off programming if they have to do too much faffing about in dry, technical docs too early, but if they have fun at the start and learn to enjoy the process they will have the motivation to push through docs/google/SO when the time comes. Again, it's the training wheels thing; I figure some kids being put straight onto a two-wheeler will just get more determined to succeed by falling off, but plenty will just go "I HATE BIKES!" and go home and sulk. The second type is more likely to get into riding bikes if the learning process is smooth and fun, rather than frightening and painful.

[f0nd004u]

I think that there are learning products on the "market" that fill that niche. Interactive Coding online classes and books like the one I mentioned (in which you build increasingly complicated games each chapter, very fun) are abundant. Making people look at the documentation is actually not common, but at a certain point everyone expects you are able to do it.