I am currently unemployed after spending the last 7+ years running a small business with my wife. In order for my wife to accept a new job offer, we closed our business to move from our home of Iowa to Charlotte, NC.
I spend most days learning bits and pieces about computers, specifically Linux and Android. I read, I learn and I experiment, doing new things with computers that I find interesting or challenging. I've done some free online course work learning C. I've made a few Android apps for personal use. Everyday I find something new to try and learn, from bash scripting and cronjobs to ssh. I've learned about and set up apache2 web servers and game servers and done some compiling of kernels, Android ROMs, and "Linux from Scratch". Plus I learn anything else I've got do to make my new pet project work. Google pretty much taught me everything I know.
At the urging of my brother, who has been a professional developer for many years, I am starting to learn python.
My blog is here
The course is off to a rocky start. The various background levels of the students seems too diverse. It would have made more sense to inform the students that certain levels of knowledge and skill were expected before starting.
My main gripe is that I have all the skills to do everything that has been covered so far, easily. But I am still made to feel like a retard because I don't have my Old Hackers Badge.
I was given some information about what NOT to do, when in digest mode on mailing lists. But I was given absolutely NO information about what not to do (or even better... what TO DO) when dealing with the mailing list in this class when not in digest mode (as I wasn't getting digest emails in time to prepare for class).
This class seems like it is going to end up with two students (and I won't be one of them because I keep screwing up the emails too), the two who needed this class the least. I'll probably end up just continue doing Zed A Shaw's python instruction (and other online tutorials) on my own. I'm getting pretty discouraged.