Hi Leo,
Years ago you mentioned a wonderful introduction to programming that could be downloaded from Rice University.
I wrote down the information on a scrap of paper and have carried it around, but never got around to using it.
I decided to download it today and realized that I had put it “somewhere” - but can’t remember where.
I would GREATLY appreciate a copy of the “recommendation”, so I could seek it out.
Thanks much.
stevesr0
If you’re serious about learning programming, I would recommend you take the free self-paced CS50 course from EdX. My review can be found here:
Also, @Leo is a LISP programmer, and I know in the past he has recommend a specific book. I think it’s this one:
https://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/sicp/full-text/book/book.html
Thanks for the replies. I have recently turned 78 and am cautious about starting a new strenuous enterprise. I am a curious beast and Leo’s comments about the Rice offering were to the effect that it was the best introduction. I recently started to try to install something not available as a package in my distribution (blue-alsa) and that also turned my thoughts to “programming”.
Having misplaced the scrap of paper (a worrying sign for me) doubly motivated me to try to recapture that reference. So I still hope that Leo (or someone else who remembers the Rice program reference) will respond.
Having said all that, I will keep the references you provided in mind (and available through this forum).
stevesr0
Ha - making progress. I believe he mentioned Dr. Racket and downloading something with it from Rice University.
I also found a comment he posted on a mastodon site that he found a teaching approach derived from this by a teacher at UBC (Gregor Kiczales] to be much easier to use to learn, than using the HTDP approach that the developers of Racket produced.)
So now, I have several things to investigate.
Thanks all.
stevesr0
Well, learning is good for the old noggin they say, so good on you to have the fortitude to play! 
The EdX course starts off teaching with a drag and drop visual tool, called Scratch, which is very good for learning beginners. And it covers the basics of computers in a very engaging way. The videos are on YouTube, so I’ll link you to the channel because there is a lot of interesting videos there, though out of context of course, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcabW7890RKJzL968QWEykA . The “Lecture 0” (because computers start counting from 0, not 1) is this one, so you have a flavour of the course presentation:
https://youtu.be/jjqgP9dpD1k
@Stevsr0: SICP (The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs) is the legendary first course in computer programming from MIT, but it’s very difficult for beginners.
Before you attempt that, I recommend you start with How To Design Programs (that’s the one that was used at Rice and elsewhere): https://htdp.org - it uses the free DrRacket environment. Racket is a scheme, a latter-day lisp, but as they use it in the book it’s a much simplified teaching language. It’s intended to get out of the way so you can learn coding concepts without having to struggle with language syntax.
There’s a well-done free pair of online courses from the University of British Columbia that teaches HtDP at edX.org: https://www.edx.org/course/how-to-code-simple-data I highly recommend them (I’ve done them myself.)
When you’re ready for SICP (and I suggest a strong math background) check out the videos from the original MIT course on archive.org: https://archive.org/details/mit_ocw_sicp
All this used to be in my email signature - but then I deleted it prematurely when I exited Keybase. grrr.
Hi Leo,
Thanks for the detailed exposition. That gives me enough material even if I have to shelter at home through 2022.
stevesr0
Addendum: Am looking forward to a new show on Linux that people have been talking about.
(Also would like a show on networking.)
stevesr0