My friend's kid asked me why I started with Python instead of C

I was helping my neighbor's 12-year-old with a simple Python script last week. After we got it working, he looked up and asked, 'But why not start with a real language like C? My dad says that's what real programmers use.' It made me stop and think about my own start with Python three years ago. I picked it because the guides said it was easy, but maybe I missed out on learning the basics the hard way. What do you all think is better for a total beginner, an easy language to build confidence or a tough one to build strong habits from the start?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencer_hayes7123d ago

Real programmers use C"? That's the most dad thing I've ever heard. Kid's 12 and already getting the old school gatekeeping talk.

hannah_fox23d ago

Totally agree with @spencer_hayes71, that's pure gatekeeping. My uncle said the same thing to me when I started with JavaScript, calling it a "toy." Starting with Python let me actually make a little game in a weekend, which kept me going. If my first project had been fighting with C pointers, I would have quit for sure.

zara_hill4618d ago

That dad talk is rough. Starting with something you can actually finish is way more important.