How Should a Non-Techie Learn Programming?

CurtMonash writes "Nontechnical people — for example marketers or small business owners — increasingly get the feeling they should know more about technology. And they're right. If you can throw up a small website or do some real number-crunching, chances are those skills will help you feed your family. But how should they get started? I started a thread with the question on DBMS2, and some consistent themes emerged, including: Learn HTML + CSS early on; Learn a bit of SQL, but you needn't make that your focus; Have your first real programming language be one of the modern ones, such as PHP or Python; MySQL is a good vehicle to learn SQL; It's a great idea to start with a project you actually want to accomplish, and that can be done by modifying a starter set of sample code (e.g., a WordPress blog); Microsoft's technology stack is an interesting alternative to some of the other technology ideas. A variety of books and websites were suggested, most notably MIT's Scratch. But, frankly, it would really help to get more suggestions for sites and books that help one get started with HTML/CSS, or with MySQL, or with PHP. And so, techie studs and studdettes, I ask you — how should a non-techie go about learning some basic technological skills?"

Comments

Undeniable proof that Obammy is a liar

[Anonymous Coward]

“I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”

        --Candidate Barack Obama, Sept. 12, 2008

“If your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not one single dime.”

        --President Barack Obama, Feb. 24, 2009

“The statement didn’t come with caveats.”

        --Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs, April 15, 2009, when asked if the pledge applies to healthcare

"Due to recent Federal health care legislation, reimbursement rules for OTC (over-the counter medications) are changing effective January 1, 2011. Any OTC medication expense (except OTC insulin) incurred after December 31, 2010, must be accompanied by a prescription. This change will not qualify as a mid-year change in status."

        --Excerpt from my employer flexible spending HSA brochure for FY2010-2011. Since after Dec. 31, 2010 over-the-counter medicines will no longer be eligible for reimbursement from my tax-free flexible spending account, this qualifies as a new tax on over-the-counter medications. This new tax is fondly referred to as the "Medicine Cabinet Tax."

Re:Funny you should ask...

[Mordok-DestroyerOfWo]

Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!