Re: Help getting started.. Please read!!

<ckh - Too Much SPAM> wrote in message
[Quoted] news:hdwX38NCLQJC-pn2-9RMTddRgipb9_at_localhost...
> > Given the fact that I want to be a programmer, probably in the area of
> > database design, what would be the best route to get the training, (
Real
> > knowledge ), and the experience for me to pursue this, with possibly
> > freelancing as an end goal? College, tech school, online learning, etc.
> > Does my age matter in the real world as far as starting now? Do I have
to be
> > Spock to do this? Any particular area of programming financially or
> > creatively better? Were you as overwhelmed when you first started
looking at
> > code as I am? How long did it take you to GET IT?
> > I would love to hear from everyone who has an opinion. I thank you.
> > Shawn
>
> Learn C.
>
> The reason is that to learn C, you have to learn the fundamentals.

Pretty good advice. Pascal or Java would be my choices - they tend to encourage better habits. But hey I started off with VB so there.

> The hard part is getting to the point that you can crank code that
> works. Most people don't, we call them managers or systems
> administrators.

Ouch! Of course most of our admin time is spent dealing with problems caused by coders not having a clue about resource management, good design, referential integrity,bind variables, load testing etc etc. <VBG>. Too busy cranking out the code to think.

--
Niall Litchfield
[Quoted] Oracle DBA
Audit Commission UK
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