[thght]

Please don't go the web developer (javascript) path; node, react, webpack, etc.. It will drive you nuts, things keep changing radically in a very high pace and can take quite some time before you feel comfortable in this crazy field.

I would choose python, ruby(or crystal), c++, c#, etc.. and stay away from the browser, unless you have a very good reason to write for that.

[soneca]

I am not the author, but I'm in the exact same situation (except I'm 37). And I am following the javascript path. It seems employable, interesting and, not hard.

I know it is a bet, I'm betting in React and if in two years it is old news, I will have to move on. But until then, I am employable.

I am very early in my learning path (started from scracth last November), but I have a very clear impression that it is easier to learn Javascript than any of the languages you mentioned.

Would you care to elaborate more your point? It would help me a lot.

thanks!

[wccrawford]

I wouldn't necessarily say that JS is easier to learn than those other languages, but I think it's easier to be productive in it.

If you use one of those other languages with the web, people are going to want you to use Javascript anyhow. So you have to learn both, unless you only do very, very basic things.

If you use one of those languages without doing web-stuff... Ugh. Maybe some phone apps line Swift or Java might be do-able, but I dunno about productivity for a long time.

On the other hand, it's not that hard to get good enough with Javascript to build some nice usable websites and get paid. IMO it's by far the shortest path to a programming career, and that will help get good enough to learn other languages and spread out while earning income.

[thght]

https://hackernoon.com/how-it-feels-to-learn-javascript-in-2...