This ad was linked in this blog post. This was interesting to me as I was just telling someone the other day about how "when I was a kid" the line being using a computer and programming it were quite blurry. The most common way to share software for the TRS-80s at my middle school was to exchange listings (printed source code).So this weirdly ties together with a challenge that I am taking on tomorrow morning. Can I introduce people who have never programmed to programming? Of course, in a way that makes them want to keep programming and to make some apps that they would like for Ubuntu. But first, get started with the whole notion of programming.
They say, "write what you know." So I decided to use my own experience being introduced to programming to introduce others to programming. My first program was a crazy text adventure game.
So I wrote this wiki page to help me walk through the class session for Opportunistic Developer Week. If you want to join, get the time and place here.
I'm hoping that I see what works and doesn't and can ultimately create a kind of story that folks can read to get them introduced to programming concepts. We'll see how it goes.
Just imagine if the dudes who wrote this article had been frozen in a cryogenic state from the day they wrote this until now, and they just came out to see what was around. Imagine showing them Ubuntu and Compiz and the Internet. It would blow their minds!
ReplyDeleteHow far we've come, huh. And in a relatively short amount of time too. It's mind-boggling stuff, really.