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Comment by moribunda | Hacker News Reader

This thread for me looks like a narcissistic attention seeking rather than real process.

She could simply start learning on datacamp - i went back to it after many years and it's perfect. Low level of entry, "box where you write python code and it runs", you don't have to install pandas, but course will teach you to do it if you want.

She began this thread from saying that she started a few courses... Hard to believe. Or she didn't wanted to pay for it to get them at a professional (in educational terms) level.

She wants to analyze her data - cool, but seriously, it's like any ignorant person would say that they want to do anything that requires some expertise... I want to build a car, why it's so difficult?!?! Twitter help!

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Read the rest of this persons twitter, or their website for that matter.

No I don’t think there is anything enlightening whatsoever about their experience “trying” to learn to program. They spent 10 minutes installing the interpreter, and then got upset for their social medial followers because they weren’t immediately able to write software to do something useful with their CSV.

I cannot think of any other discipline where “I bought a woodworking shop and then couldn’t immediately make cabinets 10 minutes after walking inside” would be considered insightful towards anything other than the person writing it.

There are SO many people who spend their time trying to help others program. Literally thousands of them. “Aella” could have spent an hour watching any of their videos or reading any of their tutorials instead of this.

I think the problem here is that there's so many tutorials, articles etc telling people that if they want to do data analysis then the best way is to use Python without making it clear that this advice is predicated on you already having a programming education. If you start with a CSV file and want to do some analysis, without knowing programming, then you need to using a spreadsheet app, but this context isn't being reliably given to people. Instead they absorb a background assumption that "real" data analysis is based on programming and immediately drown when they try it.

It's no different in woodworking. I'm constantly turned off when I try to start by the fact that basically every easy-to-find woodworking tutorial assumes you have 3-4 different power saws already ready to go in your garage. It's hard to find content that gets you started with basic tools on small, inexpensive projects.

Experts in any field are usually terrible teachers because they don't understand anymore what it means to be a beginner.

(As an aside, I'd love suggestions for woodworking content that does start small.)

Something like this: https://famousartisan.com/diy_2x6_deck_chair_plans/

Would be very easy to make with basic hand tools. In fact, what might be fun is to just look at the picture of that, and try to reverse engineer the parts for it. (I teach woodworking classes, and this is actually an exercise I make the students do in one of the classes).

This saw would be fine: https://www.amazon.com/CRAFTSMAN-Hand-20-Inch-Finish-CMHT208...

If you can afford it, something like this will last you a very long time (probably a lifetime): https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-12-Inch-15-Amp-Compound-DWS715...

If you really want something that will definitely last you a lifetime (or two): https://www.amazon.com/SKILSAW-SPT88-01-Drive-Bevel-Sliding/...

If you want something that is pretty good at most things, get this: https://www.amazon.com/SKILSAW-SPT77WML-01-15-Amp-Lightweigh...

This is a handheld saw, but it's a very nice one, and could absolutely be used to make many, many things out of wood. You can use it for almost anything, and people do.

Another thing which you will use all the time (and I mean ALL the time, regardless of if you are doing woodworking or not) is a good set of handheld drills: https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2697-22CT-18-Volt-Lithium-I...

If you want a long series of videos to watch, check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn4L_aJ1rV4&list=PLRZePj70B4...

Or this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh6cMQnWGwA

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