I'm curious about the methods and resources people used to learn programming before the advent of AI language models like LLMs and platforms like Stack Overflow. Did you rely on books, online tutorials, or peer discussions? How did you troubleshoot problems back then? I'm asking because I often turn to AI for quick answers now, and I'd love to understand the traditional ways of learning programming that might still hold value today. Any insights or stories are appreciated!
5 Answers
We had to RTFM—Read The 'Fine' Manual! Back then, there was so much trial-and-error involved. You looked at error messages and debugged your code line by line to understand how things worked. It taught you a lot about patience!
Before all the online resources, I relied heavily on local user groups and programming magazines. We used to share code snippets and tips through those magazines. I learned a lot just by seeing what others were doing. Now, it feels like everything is about quick fixes rather than understanding the fundamentals!
That's a great point! Sometimes I feel like learning material is moving too fast to keep up. It's nice to hear about those older methods that helped you really understand programming.
Back in the day, the best way to learn programming was to dive into the documentation of whatever tool you were using. You read the manuals and tried to apply what you learned in real projects. It was pretty much just trial and error, along with a lot of persistence!
I totally agree! Documentation was our best friend—like ingredients for cooking. You had to experiment to create something tasty!
Learning to code before the internet was all about books and classes. You had to rely on textbooks, local libraries, and sometimes even the help of peers or tutors. It was a lot of hands-on practice and figuring things out on your own with the resources you had. I remember writing down code examples from books and trying to replicate them on my computer!
It's interesting how much more we had to rely on our own problem-solving skills back then. Now, it feels like people just search for solutions instead of working through the problem.
Books were my main source of knowledge. I read a ton of programming books and manuals, and I practiced a lot by just building projects. I also had to join forums and communities for help, since there weren’t many instant resources available. We really had to hustle to learn!
Sounds like a lot of commitment! I find it hard to stay focused for long periods now because of so many distractions.
Haha, I still do that! Running debuggers and adding debug statements were the way to figure out issues back in the day.