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- Path: nntphost.dur.ac.uk!nntp
- From: Rory Barr <R.J.Barr@durham.ac.uk>
- Newsgroups: comp.edu,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++
- Subject: Re: C or C++ for a 14-year old? The definitive reply - You said it!!
- Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 23:01:35 +0000
- Organization: University of Durham, Durham, UK.
- Message-ID: <3106BA4F.2F61@durham.ac.uk>
- References: <Pine.SGI.3.91r.960119203937.9593A-100000@freenet> <4dsact$a3b@newsbf02.news.aol.com> <4e0bhb$k08@sundog.tiac.net> <4e0ljs$quh@ccnet3.ccnet.com>
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- Jeffery C McLean wrote:
- > When I was 17 a teacher in HiSchool was trying to covence everyone ^^^ ^^^^^
- > (Felow students, my parents etc) that I didn't know computers ^^^^ ^^ ????
- > and that I couldn't posably know computers. Eventualy she showed the truth ^^^^^ ??????
- > is she was JUST learning how to USE a computer and felt a little challanged
- ^^^^
- > by the fact that a student in her class knew more than her.
- > My mother even presented a fist full of letters from computer experts
- > a University Prosesor and a congratulations on winning first prise. ^^^^^^ ^^^
- .
- [snip](Needless to say it was much of the same)
- .
- .
- > I feal kids SHOULD learn programming early....
- > I also feal thies adults who hold kids away from computers should get ^^ ^^^^^
- > a dose of reality... "Computers stifle creativity"
- > I don't think ANYONE who knows computers would make THAT clame... That one
- > comes from artests who rely on "traditional matreals".... ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^
- > I don't think anyone ever said painting stifles creativity... or music...
- > computer artests would easly chalange that notion anyway... ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^
- > Jeff
- > --
- > felinoid@ccnet.com
- > http://www.ccnet.com/~felinoid/
-
- Jeff I think that is what you would call 'shooting oneself in the foot'!
- Let me apologize if you are a newcomer to the English language and this
- was your best attempt. Let me also apologize if you suffer from
- dyslexia, although I would have thought if that was the case aspiring to
- be a professional programmer is perhaps not the best idea.
- Personally whilst I am still a few years younger than yourself I appear
- to have only started to "know" computers a little late in life
- (according to you) at the age of 19 on starting University. Now however,
- just 4 years later having completed a degree (not in computing) I am a
- professional programmer, coding in C++.
- The way I see it is that nobody is too old to start learning how to use
- computers. However it is extremely important to get a good all round
- education at a younger age. It is far more important to be able to read
- and write properly than it is to complete every level of Doom or write
- perfect c++ code. I do think that computer literacy is an important
- assest for youngsters in this day and age, but it is useless if a child
- reaches the age of 20 and is completely socially inept having spent the
- last 10 years glued to a monitor in his/her bedroom. Afterall we all
- know how easy it is to get carried away with your coding and spend hours
- at a time infront of your machine without moving.
-
- To anyone else reading this post: If you are 14 or even younger go and
- do something different! You have got plenty of time ahead of you to
- learn how to program and there are much more worthwhile things you could
- be doing with your time.
-
- Rory.
-
- #include <stdsclmr.h>
-