Found in 1 comment on Hacker News
emilepetrone · 2011-06-27 · Original thread
I was in your shoes 11 months ago, so let me give you some real-world advice. If you have a friend that knows any language (Python, Ruby, PHP, etc) start there. They will be there when you have questions, and having a person to turn to is the most important thing. However lets say you don't have a friend to turn to- start wit h Python.

Try Google App Engine to get started so you don't have to worry about dealing with a server. Start here http://learnpythonthehardway.org/

Find a copy of http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596801601#toc for understanding basic ideas with HTML, CSS, JS and Python/GAE.

In the meantime, start a blog and write about your stuggles and the things you learn. Initially it won't really be about coding - but the main thing is showing momentum to the outside world. (Trolls will hate just ignore). By getting your name out there, people will be more interested in helping you.

Start there. If you have questions, my email is emile (at)

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