Comment by Zev | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Zev | Hacker News Reader

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The first real line of code I wrote (I'm not counting poorly crafted HTML) was when I was 16, as a senior in high school. And that was Visual Basic. We didn't do C until the second half of the year (and by this point, I was 17). Which right now, means that I've been coding "seriously" for about 4-4.5 years. I'd guess that its not nearly as many years as you have. Which is fine. You're probably older. And you probably started before you were a senior in high school.

But, you know what? That doesn't mean that I'm any worse off in terms of ability (to code, design, learn or understand concepts) than you. And I'm not sorry for not spending my teen years implementing Ukkonen's algorithm or whatever else would count for you. I can read the paper on how it works if I ever need to implement it.

I object to claim that in order to code, you have to have some sort of monkish training. That if you're "like this," then programming is the only path or that you have to be "like this," in order to be a programmer. Your point of view seems like a horribly elitist, closed-minded view to have.

Actually, it probably does mean you're worse off in terms of ability -- but not in terms of potential or aptitude.

5 years ago I used to think I had the coding thing down pretty pat -- now I'm much better than I was then, and I have a lower opinion of my knowledge as well :)

5 years ago I used to think I had the coding thing down pretty pat

I'm not nearly as arrogant as to think that I know everything in my particular domain(s) of interest. I can look at whatever language(s) I consider myself proficient in and name half a dozen things in half as many seconds that I know nothing about.

I simply disagree with the "You have to have coded for years before going to college for coding to be a good coder" line of thought. You have to have the time, yes. But, imho, it doesn't have to come from college and it doesn't matter when you start.

I refuse to even view old code of mine. I'm afraid I'll get a concussion from all the forehead slapping this will induce.

Senior in high school at 16?

Yup. I started my senior year of high school when I was 16. I was 17 when the year ended. Didn't skip a year, just started a year earlier than most people. But, thats another story.

FWIW, I'll be done with undergrad work at college at 21 (assuming I graduate on time next year). Could have finished by this summer (ie: before I turned 21), but, I do enough classwork during the semester, I wanted my summers "off" (read; working/internships instead of classes).

This isn't all that uncommon. The same was true of both my wife and of me; we both have Fall birthdays, and started kindergarten before we turned 5. I turned 18 several months into my freshman year of college.

FWIW, I don't recommend this, but (and I've faced this with my own kids now) there's really not much choice. I was already bored in school; if I'd been back another year, it would've been even worse.

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