[thelist] how did you learn?

[Chris Hayes]

Learnt programming through the ZX Spectrum and DB through an electronics
engineering degree in 80's.
So wasn't a programming purist.

Learnt HTML + CGI  whilst neglecting my second degree (physics)  in 94/95
from web sites ( mainly the HTML Writers Guild, who now I've checked are
still going ;), and newsgroups.  I had a connection to the campus network
and given the choice of Thermo Dynamics  lectures over WWW tinkering, WWW
tinkering won every time;)

Then started to work in 95/96 and carried on learning from the same sources
and the magic of DejaVu (now Google groups).

I've never taken a course, probably could have done with one mind you.  I'd
have stuck to hands-on coding related courses if I had.  I would send all my
trainees now through w3schools and get them building sites.  I find so many
of the training courses
out there are product-related, which isn't the way I'd choose to learn.

The best advice I would give would be to find a great resource like Evolt,
to get proper, correct help, and then google for inspiration.  So a training
product I would base on How To Find Out For Yourself.  Sounds cheap, but
it's the best.

Books can still be handy for reference, but you'd have to buy regularly to
keep up with the technology.

And isn't it amazing how we all like talking about ourselves ;)

Chris

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Bennett" <bennettpr at yahoo.com>
To: <thelist at lists.evolt.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 6:40 AM
Subject: [thelist] how did you learn?


> OK, I have a question for all those developers out there who
> didn't spend 3 years at university / college to gain
> professional web development skills.
>
> How did you first begin your learning? Did you pick up a book?
> Go to online forums? Ask a friend? Take a short course?
>
> The reason I ask is that I am considering developing a training
> product and want to see if it is at least viable before sinking
> countless hours into it :)
>
> I took the 'short course' option, although it was 9 months and a
> bit more focussed on sys admin stuff than I needed. (I still
> have dreaded memories about setting up and configuring NT
> server)
>
> Feel free to answer off-list if you like.
>
> Many thanks,
> Paul Bennett