[freshhawk]

I agree, I think it's an absolutely necessary learning experience.

Just not at the beginning.

Maybe that's because I'm a CS major and have dealt with so many smart people who's learning paths were derailed by the self taught plan advocated here. They found a local maxima (in my experience it's often procedural php or eclipse driven java) and won't move off of it because it seems impossible and the benefit is intangible and by definition difficult for them to understand. Pretty perfectly described by PG's Blub Paradox essay.

There's a reason the "standing on the shoulders of giants" metaphor is so prevalent in the programming world.