As a self-taught programmer and resident of a town well under 20k pop (most of whom are well out of my age group), i really identify with this. it's helped a bit to learn deeply and engage with others who have done so, and in some ways is an extension of a broader void in my network (or lack there-of). it't influenced the tochnologies i've chosen and hence made me who i am today, but i hope the "zoom-native" generations broadly engage more in open online spaces and feel less of this