[Tutor] The Reading Documentation problem

[David L Neil]

On 25/08/19 11:04 AM, Mike Barnett wrote:
> I've noted what I find to be a disturbing trend with younger students that use a package that I released last year.  This package has a LOT of documentation, and it's needed because there are a lot of different classes, functions, etc.  It's really easy reading and you don't have to read the docs except when you run into trouble or something new about it that you're learning.  It's not a difficult package to learn and use, even with little reading.
...

> Sorry this is so long, but it's a real problem I'm witnessing and I'm wondering if it's only a certain portion of the programming world (self-taught people) or the internet-generation in general does this regardless of educational training.


One good rant deserves another:-


Today's pace of life - I want it now!

The general rule is that documentation is weak, out-of-date, or 
non-existent. The rationale for which seems to be: read the source-code.

So, many people are self-taught and appear to do so without following 
any form of structure or syllabus.

Training courses are expensive and thus necessarily short.

Many believe that 'boot-camps' are a more efficient way to learn than 
3?4 year university programmes.

The average length-of-career in IT is quite short. Assuming that 
course-applicants have realised this, surely the training lead-up should 
reflect same?

Employers want someone now, not in three-years' time/I need a new 
(highly-paid) job now, not in three-years' time.

How many people can distinguish between a "coder" and a "programmer" - 
particularly employers/clients/HR depts.

Why spend time learning when StackOverflow is but a click away?

Why spend time thinking when someone else has already coded it/something 
(which appears to be) similar?

Governments (world-wide) are tending towards the employers' preference 
for "training", as distinct from the life-long preparation of 
"education". This also a feature of "the gig economy", and the 
expectation that one can inter-change individuals, as long as the job 
gets done.

Similarly, I see (again, widely-spread across the 'western world') a 
lack of respect for academia ("all brains but no practical use"), and 
thus the claim that renamed polytechnics/technical colleges/community 
colleges produce 'just as good' a graduate.

Cash now/soon, or no cash until later - who is good at "delayed 
gratification"?

It's called a ?brave, new world...
-- 
Regards =dn