[nnnnnande]

Thanks for this. I've had a similar experience with learning how to program, having taken courses and doing examples which have had no clear purposes.

I'm 22 now and finally feel like I'm headed in the right direction with the help of BlueJ and a book called "Objects First with Java". It may not be 'whimsy', but I appreciate the fact that it helps me visualize the concepts of OOP.

I recognize the feeling of insatiability, as I keep wanting to learn more and more now, all thanks to brilliant resources.

[drumsrgr8forn8]

Yeah... I may go through at some point and refactor this post some. I personally get a kick out of funny names and goofy stuffy but several people have made the point that it can be distracting to some people. The key things are just passion, clarity, and context. I experienced none of those things back in school... truly, not just from my programming classed but from 90% of all my classes. I can probably name all the good teachers I've had from grade school through university on one hand.