-It's not as easy as just turning on the computer like it was for the 8-bit computers. This includes installing languages/compilers, IDEs, or whatever it takes to get code in and get output out. This can turn off a lot of people right off the bat.
Getting some interesting introduction
- A lot of the intros are either trying to use a non-sensical example (how to build a cow with OOP), very dry (hellow world, and that's it), or overly complex (into to PHP, lets build a complex system with Cake!)
Producing any results within your peak attention.
- I think once you start seeing at least output, or more likely seeing proof that YOU can control your computer, your stress level does way down, "OK, I, now I know I can command the computer - lets get to work."
Getting a good book or other learning resource.
- as Theodore Sturgeon said, "90% of everything is crap", that seems very much so when you are looking for the right resource to learn to program with. This is part learning style, so no one book may fit all.
Accepting you are in a larval stage and not reacting to others comments.
- Then next you have to deal with the community at large, especially the detractors who will tell you how bad your programming choice or your freshman code quality is. Either blotting their noise out out or locating the right community to foster new developers.
I think those are the basics there, there’s more but these I think is what I see most in the programming community..