Do I really need to learn Java?

[James Logajan]

Bill Smith wrote:
> My advice would be to learn
> object-oriented coding, using Python, Ruby, or Smalltalk, and branch out
> to Java, but only after learning OO coding thoroughly. After that, you
> could learn C++ pretty well if you *needed* to.

I think this is bad advise. Time is finite; in the end you need to learn to
solve problems and you need a way to express those solutions using a
notation you are fluent in. Only when the notation becomes a noticable
impediment should you consider searching for another lnaguage.

Pick one language, it doesn't matter much which, and start using it to solve
problems. Don't hop from language to language. Given a choice between
studying yet another language or studying interesting and useful algorithms,
do the latter. You'll pick up some reading skill at other languages in the
process, but that shouldn't become a goal.