Take Tech Seriously!

I have spent decades learning how to program computers. It should take decades. I have dedicated myself to lifelong learning, and, to tell the truth, it’s a bit of a love affair.

Many people in the so-called enterprise do not take what I do seriously. There are two trends that I find silly. First, there is the plethora of books that promise that you can become proficient with any computer language or technology in just 21 days. Give me break! Read what Peter Norvig had to say in a very good article entitled Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years.

The other trend is expensive training that cannot possible provide much value. Training dollars are being wasted. There are companies who send employees off on four day courses to learn how to program in .NET, for example. These courses can cost $2,500 or more per person. What can you learn in four days? Really? One such course actually states: “Prior programming experience is helpful but not required.” Again, give me a break!

As Novig writes: “There appear to be no real shortcuts: even Mozart, who was a musical prodigy at age 4, took 13 more years before he began to produce world-class music.”