Should I Learn Ruby as a First Language?

[Lloyd Linklater]

But you never really understand what you're doing; you end up learning a
set of rules and prescriptions instead of basic principles. Do this and
it works; do that and it doesn't.

Of course this could get very philosophical. What do I mean by "really",
"understand" and "basic principles"? ;-)

You can certainly drive a car without knowing what goes on inside the
engine. Millions do. But some of us (especially those from an
engineering background) like to know how it works, at least in outline.

So true! In the end, the one that understands more of what is going on
will solve the really tough problems where the one that plunks around
until he muddles there cannot. Still, there is a great deal of effort
required in the learning process.

"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is why so few people do
it." - Henry Ford

You could learn enough to do what you want to do and save delving for
when delving is required. If there is another notion to consider it is
that it should be fun. If it is not fun for you then you will never get
far. Programming takes far too much brain power to do it without joy.
Certain projects and parts will be joyless but that is true for
everything. If you cannot find joy in it, then do something else. Go
to the strata where things are fun and stay there until necessity drives
you out but return ASAP!

 

[MRH]

Lloyd,

So true! In the end, the one that understands more of what is going on
will solve the really tough problems where the one that plunks around
until he muddles there cannot. Still, there is a great deal of effort
required in the learning process.

"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is why so few people do
it." - Henry Ford

You could learn enough to do what you want to do and save delving for
when delving is required. If there is another notion to consider it is
that it should be fun. If it is not fun for you then you will never get
far. Programming takes far too much brain power to do it without joy.
Certain projects and parts will be joyless but that is true for
everything. If you cannot find joy in it, then do something else. Go
to the strata where things are fun and stay there until necessity drives
you out but return ASAP!

Thank you for this post. I will also keep it in mind.

Cheers,

Maurice

 

[MRH]

Hello everyone,

Very well, this discussion has played out so to speak, thus I have
decided to submit this last post, so as to thank everyone who
participated - I appreciate it quite a bit, and find the generous and
helpful attitude of every single poster to be very encouraging as it
bodes well for future interaction with Rubyists.

I also want to let everyone know that I have decided to become
acquainted with some of the lower level fundamentals first, not
necessarily learn Assembler and/or C, but work my way through the
concepts . . . I have picked up a copy of Programming From The Ground
Up . . . after that, I will - indeed - teach myself the Ruby
Programming Language as a first language!

Regards and Happy Hacking to All,

Maurice