Programming For Terrified Adults?

Posted by simoniker on Monday May 31, 2004 @08:49AM from the logical dept.

makeitreal writes "My mom is getting bored with learning the basics of email and has mastered Solitaire. She asked me what I do on my computer and I told her that I was teaching myself programming in Scheme. She expressed an interest in learning what I was doing, but I tried to teach it to her with the HtDP and we didn't even get past the introductory chapter. Everything I've looked at so far seems too complicated (Scheme, Python, VB) or too childish (Logo, Squeak, Lego Mindstorms). Is there anything in the middle that is also cheap/free and suitable for adults? Or should I give up the whole idea?"

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No no no! by RTPMatt · 2004-05-31 08:56 · Score: 1, Troll

My mom is getting bored with learning the basics of email and has mastered Solitaire. She asked me what I do on my computer and I told her that I was teaching myself programming in Scheme. She expressed an interest in learning what I was doing

I can tell you right now, that is a very bad idea. All you are doing is giving her something else that (very) complicated, which will do nothing be make you recieve 10x more call with her saying "my computer is broke!" Comile errors will be then next form of computer not workingness. You will quickly see that most people are not capable of programming (or at least not learning it on their own), and should just not attempt it.