[MBlume]

Wow. I've been referring to myself as self-taught because, well, I came from a physics background, taught myself Python using google, and started kibitzing on a friend's startup. But it occurs to me reading this, that I probably had more direct instruction than most CS students. We worked together for only a few months, but it was the two of us in a room every day, I showed him my code, talked through what I was trying to make work, he'd nudge me towards best practices, and I got better. I should thank that dude.