Slashdot Mirror
Khan Academy Chooses JavaScript As Intro Language
jfruh writes "Slashdotters (many of whom cut their teeth on much-maligned BASIC) have long debated what language kids should learn programming in. Khan Academy, the wildly popular producer of educational videos, has come up with an unorthodox choice: JavaScript, not least because of its ability to keep kids' attention with something fun and graphical."
No additional tools needed. Everyone watching a Khan video already has a JS environment.
alert("Khaaaaaaaaaaaaan!");
Since when do you teach complex casts and threading in an intro course? For crying out loud, I know engineers with 5+ years experience that still don't fully grok multi-threaded issues.
"No matter where you go, there you are." -- Buckaroo Banzai
I personally think it's a horrible choice. If you don't know enough about computers to install Python, you probably don't know enough about computers to learn how to code.
That's a pretty stupid thing to say, you must really be trolling or be really dumb. I was introduced to programming with BASIC, and procedural programming with LOGO, and just look at me now, I can't code shit! *ahem* Seriously though, people were learning programming before "installing" was something you could do on your personal computer.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Someone who wants to learn programming doesn't search for javascript. That's like searching for "42" when you want to know the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
So wait - javascript is the ultimate answer to programming?
Crap. I quit.
Since then he's gotten pretty good with Java, C#, C, and python and played with F#.
The key part of the title is "intro language". Seems like some comments are expecting kids to come out of this and write the next Office suit, or Google competitor, or missile guidance system. I think javascript is a great way to see if a kid wants to do more.
Not happening to know the term "lock convoy" does not imply that said programmer is unfamiliar with the issues. If you learned multi-threading long ago (like I did), no-one had invented the cute description, but you certainly knew how what the condition was and possible methods of mitigation. Sounds like a stupid "tech interview" type of question.
I have programmed using threads in a number of different environments (phtreads, dce threads, and windows threads) in a number of different languages, and have taught threaded programming -- I have also threaded needles, reattached buttons, sewed, embroidered and read most of the Dragon Riders of Pern series. I am a skilled and experienced threader. I had never heard of a lock convoy until now, but have certainly dealt with this precise issue before..
I suspect you would not have just asked this question and "stopped the interview" because I did not know this term, but I get tired of hearing statements similar to yours, and worse, I've caught myself saying similar things.