[lukeck]

I first read this way back when it was first published. I was still studying full time back then. I recall it being one of the things that really motivated me to learn more. It meant that there would always be something new and interesting for me to learn that would make me a better programmer.

~17 years later that has definitely been my experience.

It’s possible to be very productive in a language after 6-12 months. The code might be decent, or with some talent and hard work, even good. It really doesn’t take all that long to learn enough to produce some cool things. However, I’m almost certain that if you look back at the code you write today in 12 months, 5, or 10 years, you’ll see many things you’d do differently. This is partly because In 10 years you will see many more problems, and solved them in many different ways. Personally, that’s one of the things I really love about this field.