• Visitors can check out the Forum FAQ by clicking this link. You have to register before you can post: click the REGISTER link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. View our Forum Privacy Policy.
  • Want to receive the latest contracting news and advice straight to your inbox? Sign up to the ContractorUK newsletter here. Every sign up will also be entered into a draw to WIN £100 Amazon vouchers!

A level student thinking of becoming a coder.

Collapse
X
  •  
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #51
    Originally posted by vwdan View Post
    Why not? I know PhD's who, while did well at school, weren't living and breathing their subject. Lots of people spend their youth not really quite knowing where to head, and sometimes the path takes you somewhere you didn't originally intend. The idea that you've boxed yourself in, or out, of being able to excel at something by 16 is just a ridiculous notion. It may give you a slightly steeper hill to climb, but even those kids who did fall in love with something tend not to be prodigies.

    Like I say, to me, it's sheer arrogance to assume that because you started young the person who didn't simply cannot become "exceptional"



    It's an OR, I'd have thought such an esteemed programmer would have been able to work out that there were two distinct examples. One of them was more about the ability one has to learn. Though if you think flying jets has "nothing to do with science", well, I guess we'll just leave it there.
    Flying jets has very little to do with science. Obviously certain scientific common sense is required but nothing meaningful. Are you sure you are not confusing flying a jet and building a jet? Or do you think pilots have working engineering knowledge?

    It's not arrogance, it's fact. It's also a fact backed by science, your ability to learn ANYTHING greatly decreases with age. Programming language, speaking language, new sport etc. You will NEVER compete with people who have been honing a particular skillset since childhood. You are delusional if you think that you can.

    Comment


      #52
      Originally posted by cannon999 View Post
      Flying jets has very little to do with science. Obviously certain scientific common sense is required but nothing meaningful. Are you sure you are not confusing flying a jet and building a jet? Or do you think pilots have working engineering knowledge?
      Hahahaha, goodness me, okay then. I never once said you need to be an engineer to fly - the example was that flying fast jets (or any jet) is far from a trivial activity, but the RAF gladly takes on 18 year olds and trains them to so, and to do so very well. For some reason, you then obsessively lumped it with nuclear engineering - but even so, the notion that you can do well as a fast jet pilot while taking the view it has "nothing to do with science" is such an uneducated and ignorant notion that it's hard to process.

      It's not arrogance, it's fact. It's also a fact backed by science, your ability to learn ANYTHING greatly decreases with age. Programming language, speaking language, new sport etc. You will NEVER compete with people who have been honing a particular skillset since childhood. You are delusional if you think that you can.
      No, that's literally arrogance on your part. You're convinced because you got an early start that it's impossible for a 16+ year old to become an exceptional programmer. That is absolutely not backed up by science and your attempt to build up some kind of fallacy around children's ability to learn is transparent. Yes, kids can pick things up quickly - that doesn't mean a 16 year old has already missed the boat.
      Last edited by vwdan; 11 December 2019, 13:21.

      Comment


        #53
        Akiba Rubinstein (one of the strongest chess GMs of the 20th century) didn't learn to play chess until 16.

        Ian Wright was almost 22 before getting his first professional football contract.


        It might be difficult to become absolutely world class at anything unless you start early, but sorry, coding isn't in the same league as chess, football or quantum physics. It's just not that difficult...

        Comment


          #54
          Originally posted by Amanensia View Post
          Akiba Rubinstein (one of the strongest chess GMs of the 20th century) didn't learn to play chess until 16.

          Ian Wright was almost 22 before getting his first professional football contract.


          It might be difficult to become absolutely world class at anything unless you start early, but sorry, coding isn't in the same league as chess
          Stopped reading after this. You do know that world class chess players do not stand a chance against AI? And guess who the AI is developed by... oh yeah developers.

          Comment


            #55
            Originally posted by vwdan View Post
            Hahahaha, goodness me, okay then. I never once said you need to be an engineer to fly - the example was that flying fast jets (or any jet) is far from a trivial activity, but the RAF gladly takes on 18 year olds and trains them to so, and to do so very well. For some reason, you then obsessively lumped it with nuclear engineering - but even so, the notion that you can do well as a fast jet pilot while taking the view it has "nothing to do with science" is such an uneducated and ignorant notion that it's hard to process.



            No, that's literally arrogance on your part. You're convinced because you got an early start that it's impossible for a 16+ year old to become an exceptional programmer. That is absolutely not backed up by science and your attempt to build up some kind of fallacy around children's ability to learn is transparent. Yes, kids can pick things up quickly - that doesn't mean a 16 year old has already missed the boat.
            No you just completely confused (and still are) cognitive skills with motor skills. I didn't say you missed the boat, I said that you will never catch up with people who have started when they were kids,

            Comment


              #56
              Originally posted by cannon999 View Post
              Stopped reading after this. You do know that world class chess players do not stand a chance against AI? And guess who the AI is developed by... oh yeah developers.
              Blimey. I thought you were being argumentative, but you really are just thick.

              Comment


                #57
                Originally posted by cannon999 View Post
                No you just completely confused (and still are) cognitive skills with motor skills. I didn't say you missed the boat, I said that you will never catch up with people who have started when they were kids,
                Why do you think I'm talking about motor skills? Do you think flying fast jets doesn't take any cognitive skill? Your other posts have been a good laugh, too.

                Comment


                  #58
                  It never occurred to me that programming is like gymnastics or professional tennis. If you aren't already putting in the hours at 7 years old you are always going to be second best.

                  Comment


                    #59
                    Originally posted by Amanensia View Post
                    Blimey. I thought you were being argumentative, but you really are just thick.
                    That's blindingly obvious surely?

                    Cannon may well have been unable to learn to programme without the early start, but that says a lot more about his ability to learn than it does about other individuals ability to learn.

                    For me, I learned more about logical thinking and troubleshooting from working with electronics, and from rigging PA systems than I ever did from programming. And they were done from the age of 17 and 19 respectively.
                    See You Next Tuesday

                    Comment


                      #60
                      Originally posted by Lance View Post
                      That's blindingly obvious surely?

                      Cannon may well have been unable to learn to programme without the early start, but that says a lot more about his ability to learn than it does about other individuals ability to learn.

                      For me, I learned more about logical thinking and troubleshooting from working with electronics, and from rigging PA systems than I ever did from programming. And they were done from the age of 17 and 19 respectively.
                      Yeah, but by that point Cannon was writing advanced AI which could have done all that for you. Quite why he's spending his time on CUK instead of his Yacht I'm not sure, though - but I for one appreciate his desire to come and give some back to the plebs.

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X