If that's how the OP found the article, then TechDirt deserves the link. I know I don't have time to read every blog, and I certainly wouldn't have seen Temple's post without Temple to TechDirt to Slashdot.
"but you know what's going on and still choose to work there."
In the 1980s I was discussing my career options with a teacher at South Seattle Community College, Ted Kosky. Ted was well known within the Seattle peace activist community at the time.
I told Ted I was leaning against working for defense oriented companies. Ted put this in front of me to consider:
If ethical people refuse to work for defense companies or government, then only unethical people would be working there. Do you want those places governed by 100% unethical people?
From the opposite point of view that you were looking for (how does one start out), I made my living for years writing software, and I'm also not sure what it was like to not know how to write software.
However, I've been out of the software business for five years now, and I'm no longer fluent in any programming language. For that reason I use python when I need/want to do a bit of programming.
Based on my experience I believe python to be an excellent language (as many will agree). Based on my infrequent need, I can still be productive in python without having to crack the books over much.
If you think you'll be doing a lot of web work, and you'll be doing it on a hosting service (instead of your own machine), then php might serve you better. Otherwise I enthusiastically recommend python.
Slashdot Mirror
If that's how the OP found the article, then TechDirt deserves the link. I know I don't have time to read every blog, and I certainly wouldn't have seen Temple's post without Temple to TechDirt to Slashdot.
"but you know what's going on and still choose to work there."
In the 1980s I was discussing my career options with a teacher at South Seattle Community College, Ted Kosky. Ted was well known within the Seattle peace activist community at the time.
I told Ted I was leaning against working for defense oriented companies. Ted put this in front of me to consider:
If ethical people refuse to work for defense companies or government, then only unethical people would be working there. Do you want those places governed by 100% unethical people?
From the opposite point of view that you were looking for (how does one start out),
I made my living for years writing software, and I'm also not sure what it was like to not know how to write software.
However, I've been out of the software business for five years now, and I'm no longer fluent in any programming language. For that reason I use python when I need/want to do a bit of programming.
Based on my experience I believe python to be an excellent language (as many will agree).
Based on my infrequent need, I can still be productive in python without having to crack the books over much.
If you think you'll be doing a lot of web work, and you'll be doing it on a hosting service (instead of your own machine), then php might serve you better. Otherwise I enthusiastically recommend python.
I suppose they could fire test missiles into the Sea of Japan.