[PLUG] Teaching My Son To Program

[Jon Jacob]

Thanks for all the response.  I will look into SmallTalk.  I know a
little bit about it, but don't know if I have even seen it.  Might be
fun to learn it together.

As as outside time...... been to Oregon much?  Winter is coming on and
its being hounded for TV, computer games, or learning something new.

Also, I am glad that I could touch off the ever predictable debate:
Perl, Python, Lisp, or whatever.  Personally, I think they all taste
great and are less filling :)


On Thu, 2003-09-25 at 14:08, Eric Brockman wrote:
> Jon,
> 
>     I learned how to "program" in about 5th grade and it was in qbasic
> (that's why there are quotes around program).  Then I went off into VB3, 4,
> 5 and then 6, and then ASP, then i found my ways into PHP/Perl and some C
> and became a linux admin.
> 
> If i could offer some advise, learn something that is cross platform.  C or
> C++ would have been a much better language for me to start off with because
> i used to think 'what does this in basic?' and i was screwed up for a long
> time because of it.  I do a lot of PHP scripting now so it's not as big of a
> deal.
> 
> PHP is easy to learn but maybe not as portable as universally accepted.  My
> biggest issue was qbasic was the only thing readily accesible to me growing
> up.  I didn't have linux or a webserver.  I'd stay mainstream with C++ to be
> honest.  And if that is too complicated for a nine year old (which it could
> tend to be i would think) I would go with PHP to create dynamic web sites
> and stuff.
> 
> Overall, if you're a programmer you know this, you just need a purpose for
> what you want to design.  If he wants to design graphical games C++ is the
> engine, if he wants to go for database/web sites PHP.  I don't know, when i
> was 12 i wanted to design games.  I just didn't have a compilier nor the
> internet (man to think this was just 10 years ago :) ).
> 
> My two cents.
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Eric Brockman
> Network Administrator
> World Access Network, Inc.
> ebrock at wa-net.com
> (800) 607-2502
> (360) 574-4448
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jon Jacob" <jon at manymoons.net>
> To: "Portland Linux Users Group" <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 11:24 PM
> Subject: [PLUG] Teaching My Son To Program
> 
> 
> > My son is turning nine next month and wants me to teach him how to
> > program.  This is something I used to do (Perl mostly) but have lost my
> > way.  Nonetheless, he has an interest and I would love to show him
> > without turning him off.
> >
> > Does anyone know of a book that might guide us through this?  I should
> > also stress that right now his machine is Windoze machine because it is
> > the family computer.  Eventually if he gets decent at it, I will get him
> > a linux box, but right now I want him to start slow.
> >
> > -- 
> > Jon Jacob <jon at manymoons.net>
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > PLUG at lists.pdxlinux.org
> > http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
> >
> 
> 
> 
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-- 
Jon Jacob <jon at manymoons.net>