So, I’ve become somewhat addicted with technology in the last 6 years or so, but much more so in the last couple of years.  What I have realized, is that I feel like I have not learned that much about programming in this time and I am feeling rather behind.

Yes, I have set this Wordpress blog up and have set up a number of sites for others, but I still feel that I have not really grasped the fundamentals of programming and important languages.  I do understand that programming and learning technology is quite the process and it takes time, but with more new and innovative technologies rising to the surface it doesn’t make it any easier.

So What?

So, what does it take to really learn programming and actually get good at it?  I have scoured the web for this and I have recently found a good post by Paul Stamatiou titled, How I Learned to Code.  This is a very well written post and has some great links at the end of the post that I will place at the end of this post as well because they are so good.

I believe that if I pursue some of the things that Paul outlines I should eventually become pretty good at coding and be able to apply it to my future career.  MIS isn’t exactly full of coding, but knowing it will be invaluable in the future.

What’s Next?

I think that I will gradually “dig in” to these resources that Paul outlines on his site.  I think that is really the key to all of this.  I need to just dig in, get my hands dirty, and make mistakes.  IT is the same way that I have learned anything in the past; riding a bike, playing guitar, building PCs, etc.  It just takes a little work at a time but a large committment to that work.  I’ve made my own list to follow in the years to come that will send me in the right direction:

1. learn UNIX/Linux
2. create my own Wordpress theme
3. create a basic, useful web app
4. run my own web server
5. buy a Mac (I should have some money by then)
6. read programming blogs and forums
7. get familiar with C++, Java, Ruby, MySQL, PHP, etc.
8. ask tons of questions in programming classes

This should be one hell of a start.  Note, all of these are not exactly related to programming but I believe that they are generally related.

I will keep an eye on this list and add/update as necessary.  Also, if anyone has anything they believe that should be added to the list, especially if it’s something that is very important that I missed, pleae let me know.

Well, here is to digging-in, and hard work.

Some links to check out:

The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Programming on the Web

How To Become a Hacker

Software Engineering for Internet Applications

Teach Yourself Programming In 10 Years

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Filed under: Hacked, Internet, Programming, Unix