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The Best Email I've Ever Received

sheddingbikes.com

194 pointsmnemonik45 comments

There is no satisfaction like adding value to someone's life through your work.

Being able to build a successful company based on that model is probably even more satisfying.

I understand your sentiment but it's not all about the money.

Properly not, but as long as the money isn't negative then a company that helps people does so time and time again - which must be better than only doing it once right?

Building a successful company isn't all about money.

You know, I think it's difficult to have students who pay you these days. Even at a university I think students aren't interested in doing the work and just want to get their degree. It's kind of sad because I'd love to just train the next generation of programmers, but it frankly seems so annoying and not worth it.

Yeah, that's the cool thing about my business too. I get e-mail all the time about how people were on the brink, and now their life is turned around. It's awesome.

I too used your book to get started in Python. It was a great introductory lesson, and definitely my learning style. Thank you!

Going to try Python for Fun this month (http://openbookproject.net/py4fun/index.html) to get a bit more advanced and pick up Learning Python (http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Python-Powerful-Object-Orient...), unless anyone else has any other better suggestions?

Awesome. I posted a whole bunch more lessons, so not sure when you stopped reading LPTHW but try grabbing it again. Learning Python is a great book, and it's huge so you'll have tons of things to work on. I haven't heard of python 4 fun before.

It is a great introduction to Python, so I'm happy Zed is getting some positive feedback. Way to go, Zed.

How come Zed uses temporal nouns ("today") but there's nary a timestamp on his blog posts!?

post url is a unix timestamp, eg 1281413656.html => Tue, 10 Aug 2010 04:14:16 GMT

Oh, wow, why didn't I ever think to do that? That makes so much sense...

I'll be at Antidote in Houston tonight for the informal Learn Python The Hard Way Tuesday. No big deal. We just sit there going through Zed's book and if you get stumped, I help you figure out the answer. You can also try this userid on Skype or at yahoo by email. Tonight, I may be preoccupied by someone from okcupid.

>Tonight, I may be preoccupied by someone from okcupid.

Like a date? Or someone who works there?

Neither.

Finding my way to your book, nice way to learn Python, thanks!

really change my families living conditions and quality of life

Does this mean he was able to get a job with his Python skills?

Otherwise, he got a little bit of Zed's attitude that changed his mental state.

Yes and one good enough to improve the living conditions for his several families, apparently.

He emailed me more details. Basically, he's a system administrator who learned Python through my book, and actually just an early version of it. He hadn't been able to learn programming before. He then wrote some software at his company that got him enough of a raise that he could move his family out of a bad neighborhood and buy a house. He then got a promotion and has been on the up ever since.

This is why I liked it so much. When I tell system administrators they have to learn to code, I really mean it will help them. Hopefully my book can do that for even more of them (and others).

I'm not very religious, but within Judaic law, teaching someone a skill which allows them to better their financial situation is considered the highest level of charity.

It comes from Leviticus 25:35

   וכי-ימוך אחיך, ומטה ידו עמך--והחזקת בו, גר ותושב וחי עמך

"And if thy brother is of lesser means than you, you shall strengthen the stranger and the dweller in your midst and live with him, [so that he no longer be in need]"

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