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0 pointspxc11mo ago0 comments

When I was a beginner programmer, I was 13 years old. I remember noticing that one kid in our class managed to do and use things that no one else in our class did. I asked him how, and he said "it's built-in, I read about it right here" and pointed to the Java API docs.

Assuming you're literate, there's no age or skill level at which it's necessary to get stuck churning on beginner-level questions. The option to RTFM is always available, right from the start.

To this day, readiness to RTFM (along with RTDS: read the damn source) is the biggest factor I can identify in the technical competency of my peers.

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lukan11mo ago

So you say, you are a great autodidact. Good for you.

Well, I guess I am, too, but I still see great value in asking specific questions to competent persons.

Or don't you think asking teachers/instructors questions is helpful?

pxcOP11mo ago

Yes, definitely. But I think reaching for an LLM can mean failing to build that reading muscle in the same way that leaning on teachers can. And I also think that many people never learn to read documentation not because they can't but because of a lack of willingness to try to learn to read specialized genres (of which technical documentation is just one).

A teacher can be a unique resource, but asking the teacher is often more of a reflexive shortcut than the thoughtful use of a unique resource.

I think use of LLMs (like StackOverflow before them) are more likely to discourage people from seriously or patiently reading documentation than they are to act as a stepping stone to a habit of more serious inquiry for most people.

whatnow3737311mo ago

I can’t remember ever asking a question and getting a helpful answer to be completely honest..

I feel weird when I read about people needing support. Maybe there is something wrong with me.

lukan11mo ago

To also be completely honest, either you have been really, really unlucky with your teachers, or you should improve on the way you ask questions.

I know I had mostly bad teachers and am largely a autodidact myself. But the few good teachers/instructors I had, were really helpful for my learning progress.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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lukan11mo ago

So you say, you are a great autodidact. Good for you.

Well, I guess I am, too, but I still see great value in asking specific questions to competent persons.

Or don't you think asking teachers/instructors questions is helpful?

pxcOP11mo ago

A teacher can be a unique resource, but asking the teacher is often more of a reflexive shortcut than the thoughtful use of a unique resource.

whatnow3737311mo ago

I can’t remember ever asking a question and getting a helpful answer to be completely honest..

I feel weird when I read about people needing support. Maybe there is something wrong with me.

lukan11mo ago

To also be completely honest, either you have been really, really unlucky with your teachers, or you should improve on the way you ask questions.

I know I had mostly bad teachers and am largely a autodidact myself. But the few good teachers/instructors I had, were really helpful for my learning progress.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse