I recently gave advice to someone I know who might want to start programming. This is the email:

“So, what I reckon is this… First you have to split the world of computing into the different and distinctive types or genres (I only have experience in the 1st):

- There are business systems like what potts mllarkey make - this is basically the whole microsoft world of programming - C# with SQL doing windows applications or ASP.NET for web applications. This type of work also comes in different flavours like Java with an Oracle database, etc. Basically, this stuff you have to normally work in a large company in the IT department, or for a software house like PM. The money’s not bad and you have the prospect of working your way up to being lead developer and then project manager maybe. It’s the obvious route and what most people do. To break into this market, you’ll need to do a course or something (maybe with a microsoft cetificate at the end of it) and almost everywhere wants a year’s experience to start which makes it seem impossible to get a first job! Potts mllarkey would be happy to give you that year’s experience though I’m sure! If you go down this path then you might regret not having any imagination in your career choice when you get older! http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/beginner/default.aspx

- Then there’s being a web developer - for this you can probably break into the industry by creating an online example web site/page, then using this as part of your CV. If you do then make sure the HTML is fully standards compliant. A static page will help you if you want to be a web designer, but that’s not programming and the money is bad, so you’ll want to make it datadriven - having a SQL backend probably using MySQL. The language to use here will be either PHP, Python, Perl, or Ruby. PHP is the most popular and therefore there will be the most jobs, but also the most competition. I’d personally avoid PHP. Python and Perl are ok but I don’t know much about them. Ruby is a new one, and if you know it and manage to get a job using it then I rekon you’ll properly jump start your career. Start here: http://www.rubyonrails.org http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/ Look for jobs in manchester for ruby before committing though. On a general note: to do web stuff, I might be wrong but I think you have to have a good eye for design. Also note - there’s a BIG difference between web designer and web developer. A designer simply creates HTML pages and does no programming. For this web stuff generally, you’ll be working in a smaller company where the people will be less geeky than the business programmers, and your work will be more valued and you’ll have more satisfaction (possibly).

- Then there’s games. The money isn’t good, but if you find you love programming then this is where the action is. To break into this world, because you don’t have a computing degree, you’ll have to code a demo to use for your CV. There are loads of games programming tutorial sites out there that can give you advice. http://gpwiki.org http://www.gamedev.net Also, get a copy of EDGE magazine - there are jobs in the back.
There’s also the world of ‘independent’ games written by one person or small groups sold on the internet, but you’ll have to be very good and dedicated to pull that one off. Examples of this type of game here: http://gametunnel.com

So, there you go! There are other industries like programming rockets and stuff but you need a degree for that.
These 3 that I’ve listed are decreasing in money but increasing in interest. Up to you.

Oh yeah - so generally, what I’d do to start with before you do anything else is pick one of the 3 above (once you’ve started down one route then it’s V hard to switch), then simply try to learn a bit of programming yourself! It’s a hard learning curve but worth it in my opinion. If you find that you get too frustrated or lose patience then it’s probably not for you! Also, if you don’t like one of the 3 then you could try another because the programming styles are very different.

Sorry for such a long mail!! Hope it helps. Please let me know what you end up doing….”

What do you think?

OK - So it’s been a long time since I’ve posted to this blog. I’ve been too busy with Arnaud, with work, with life in Cusco. It feels like there’s no time left for personal stuff! It’s become a big frustration. Even GTD didn’t help (not that I properly put it to the test). I found GTD a bit useless when all I do all working day is complete programming tasks for the small number of projects I work on and then log the time spent on it. No time for bigger personal aspirations to be broken down or actioned, and my everyday life is simple enough to not have to listify menial tasks. So, what am I doing wrong? Why can’t I Get Real?

I’ve got some time off work coming up. This is my chance to get an app off the ground. Time to knuckle down. Keep it simple. Perfectionism later. Design first. Get it running ASAP. These (amongst other things) are to be my mantras.

I’ve got a lot of software/webapp ideas buried away and have been considering two. In a last minute switch, I’ve now made up my mind… and the winner is… courseway.com You’ll find nothing there right now, but if you’re reading this in 3 months then chances are it’s a lot more exciting. If only I could see into to the future! Any guesses on what it’ll do?

If you stumble upon this site then feel free to sign up and see the exciting progress. Comments welcome…

This is my brief summary of the GTD method of increasing your productivity (and hence making you feel lighter, happier, and less stressed)

Things = Stuff, and stuff is anything that’s in your head. Anything in your head has to be taken out of your head and put into a well organised system. This system basically boils down to two main lists and some peripherals. The main lists are Projects and Next Actions. The projects list contain the things that would normally be in your head, and the next actions list contains at least one action per project to progress that project. Then all you have to do to maintain tranquillity is keep reviewing, reorganising and acting on these lists.

I have a kid, a full time job, and a full social life. How am I supposed alter the direction of my life through the creation of a web app if I don’t have any spare time? That was my problem - and why this blog hasn’t had regular updates. Let’s see how the GTD method can change this…