The most basic question you will find in all interviews, articles or books about programmers is “How do you learn to be a programmer?” Well, I think interviews on any profession or career — singer, dancer, actors, doctors, national heroes — there is always the ‘how did you start to become one?”
So I bought the above books with that ‘question’ in my head. I was and am hoping that one or all of my kids will be ‘great programmers.’ They will be great enough to be interviewed for a book. I am imagining that when they will be asked how did they learn to be a great programmer, they will answer that they started with the 3 for Php 100 2nd-hand kiddie computer books their mother bought from White Gold which got them to be sooo interested with the computer tehcnologoy that they learn it by heart, and the rest is history. Yes, their mother is cheap but nobody will ever think about that because her kids are great programmer. =)
Mark unearthed those books when doing some ‘archiving’ with our saved mess last last week. He was surprised we have those books around.
I bought them like 1-2 years ago. Of course, my ‘imaginations’ for my kids changes. The thing is 10-15 years from now, the computer technology might be no longer that interesting or fulfilling. Now, I wish my kids to be farmers/agriculture and/or into ‘garbage’ industry with a twist. The most stable and will-never be out of fad industries I believe. But then to raise exceptionally great farmers and garbag-ers, they must live and breath them — meaning somehow we have to have a ‘farmer/garbage-er’ lifestyle. That will be another long story to make.
Back to the 3 for Php 100 used books, reading interviews of the ‘great programmers’ when asked about how they become one. I never came across an answer that they become very great programmers because they have these state-of-the-art latest computer gadget. And, I guess same with other careers. Regine Velazques was dipped into the sea as her training by her father. Sarah G, mmm, I think she had voice lessons. But then, looking at it, Regine V made a more interesting story.
Enough of celebrities. Linus Torvalds (Linux) started with his grandfather’s calculator (though it might be the state-of-the-art during his time though). Steve Wozniak (Apple 2) started with playing some junk electronic stuff in their family garage with his friends. Steve Jobs started by befriending Steve Wozniak. owkeis, kidding, jobs fan.=) Fitzpatrick started by looking at his parents dismantle a TV. I already ran out of examples.
It just makes me wonder why there are exceptionally great people when all things are bright and beautiful and equal. What must have been turned on in them that make them like that? As a mother, I am pretty much interested about it so somehow I will know how or maybe it is something that we really have not much control.