[TheOtherHobbes]

That's not helpful if those things aren't available or easy to find - which, for most beginners, they aren't.

(An online course in what, exactly? Web design? C? JavaScript? Scratch? CS fundamentals? "Coding"?)

The SO approach is just nasty - unforgivably so, IMO.

SO could at least have split into abs. beginner/more experienced beginner/journeyman/professional/expert levels.

Currently it just seems to provide an excuse for not very interesting people to bully beginners instead of helping them.