<story><title>Erlang creator on how to get started and learning to program</title><url>http://erlang.org/pipermail/erlang-questions/2011-July/059966.html</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>asymptotic</author><text>There are several important threads that Joe Armstrong brings up that people are completely missing.&lt;p&gt;1) Typing in code directly into a shell necessarily implies you ignore all the tools and IDEs that many beginners clamour for.  In fact, in my experience, coding into Notepad is a far superior learning experience than using an IDE.  Nothing stands between you and your gaping ignorance, and you&apos;re forced to grapple with all the hideous details without pretty colours or intelligent auto-completion.&lt;p&gt;2) Typing in code offers you the chance to _deliberately type it in incorrectly and see what happens_.  This is my favourite method of learning.  Take a known good example, and say &quot;Hmm, if I just do...that...to that line, what happens?&quot;.  And then stare at the error output, immerse yourself in it.  Just as with people, there is no better way of learning about a language, a tool, or an idea than when it is put under stress or unusual circumstances.&lt;p&gt;3) Tools necessarily abstract away some process, whereas when you&apos;re learning a new concept or idea the last thing you want is to shy away from the details of a process.  This point reminds me of learning about long division in Year 7 at secondary school, and being forced to draw all these long arrows making clear which digits were going where.  My maths teacher explained the rationale as &quot;You have to go through all the motions, regardless of how silly or tedious they may seem now.  Eventually you&apos;ll just naturally drop them to one side and not need them any more.&quot;</text></comment>
<story><title>Erlang creator on how to get started and learning to program</title><url>http://erlang.org/pipermail/erlang-questions/2011-July/059966.html</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>ukdm</author><text>&quot;After 30 years you will get the hang of this and be a good programmer.&quot;&lt;p&gt;I wonder if a genuine beginner reading that line would be put off instantly or encouraged to find out if it really would take that long?</text></comment>