Is it worth to get into coding in 2026?I have zero experience with coding, and have no idea where to start nor what language to pick.
First of all, call it "programming". "Coding" is a term that means turning someone else's design into code. When it comes to programming, like any other skill or discipline, your heart has to be in it. This means you have to keep on trying when things don't work out right away.If I could do everything all over again here's what I'd do:First I'd learn from something with some kind of simplistic graphics and a REPL. Follow some python, lua, or even Scratch tutorial on how to make some kind of game or draw some kind of interesting pattern. This will establish the basics of how most languages work and make you excited to learn more. Then, install Emacs (Doom Emacs makes it easy to learn I hear) and learn the key motions. If you don't know how to type (the proper way, with touch typing) then learn. You will never be a real programmer if you can't type, and I'm not kidding or playing up my feelings for 4chan. Learning Emacs has the added benefit of teaching you how to quickly navigate bash since the motions are the same. Once you've gotten a handle on editing text on emacs, follow a tutorial and learn how to edit its configuration to add your own keybindings, add packages and whatnot. From there you could perhaps continue writing stuff in whatever scripting lang you chose but eventually you should learn a "real" language like Rust or C or Go. I'd at least get used to C because every other language is modelled off of it more or less. Check out the source code of software projects by Suckless to get an idea of how to write good C, they have insanely clean code. I wish you good luck because programming is something I find very fun and gratifying.
Is there an area in particular you want to get into? Video games? AI? Web development?
>>107820724No, just use AI. Learning to code is useless.
>>107820842Everything is fun and games until you inadvertently vibe code up a severe bug and have no way to fix it and the LLM is uncooperative at trying to fix it.
>>107820724You can always do it as a hobby. The biggest barrier you're probably gonna find is the people already doing it. Take /g/ and make it worse. Welcome to tech.
>>107820833Thank you very much for this anon, i really appreciate.>>107820837Pretty much everything you named, but mostly games. Web development is also something i was always wanted to do.AI mainly because we just can't avoid it, so gotta get into that too.My main goal is not to only get a future job, but do something that would spark something in me and would change my life for better.Simply saying, i want to challenge my self, and PC's, technology was always what i was interested in. That's why i thing programing is the way for me. I feel like it could fill my soul.
>>107820862Who cares, you won’t have a job as a programmer anymore. The worst thing you could ever experience is leaking your porn or some retarded shit. OP isn’t going to work securing google's servers or something similar
>>107820724>>107820950If you want to do this for employment you have to understand that the market is really, really, really bad right now, especially for new grads. If you go after software development, you need to get straight As and have multiple internships and be looking for a job well before you graduate. You also need to network with people, since that seems to be the best way in now. I just want to reiterate that right now is a terrible time to get into software development as a job. You've been warned.
>>107820972 (me)I just want to add that this advice is for people in the US. I don't know what it's like in other countries.I don't want to scare you off if you really, really want to be a SWE, but I think it's best to be honest with people about the options. It's been bad for a few years now.
>>107820990>I don't want to scare you offYou didn't, that's why i asked at the start of making this thread ''is it worth in 2026'' because i already made in my mind that getting a job as a noob programmer would be a hard task or maybe even unreal in the upcoming future.But i still want to try, and at least do it as a hobby for myself. And who knows, maybe i will be able to do some basic games, and open my own meme website ;))>but I think it's best to be honest with people about the optionsI prefer when people are honest, even if its about to get hopeless n grim.Thank you very much for that.
>>107820970https://www.wired.com/story/openai-contractor-upload-real-work-documents-ai-agents/I would say that coding jobs will be scarce because of Indians, not dogshit AI vibe coding.
>>107820724Professional software developer of 10+ years here.It was extremely competitive 10 years ago. I can hardly imagine how competitive it is now, especially for new graduates.In terms of learning to program starting from scratch as an adult that is NOT in school... it's impossible.You can probably pick it up and learn some of the basics of programming. But 99.9% of you will drop it after a week or two. You need to be in school to keep yourself in check.Even if you continue, you'll never really understand the deeper parts of programming unless you're working in a real professional job. A job that will never hire without degree, considering how competitive it is now. HR won't even see your resume, it gets auto-filtered out without at least a degree.It's the same people that say "my dream is to make a game". They'll install Unity/UE, play around and learn it for a week or two max, then get bored and drop it forever.
>>107821113To add on, I can sympathize.I've always wanted to learn animation and storywriting as a hobby. I've tried to get into it and learn starting from zero, but it's overwhelming and I gave up. I will never be anywhere good and will never know anywhere close as the literal professional animator or storywriters in the actual industry.I guess at least I know programming very well.
>>1078208425billion pajeets are already on the train. op will die a fast food worker assuming they have vacancy for fast food workers
>>107820724As someone who just finished CS50 (they just published the 2026 lectures) - I can't recommend this course enough. It will start from the bare minimum (scratch) assuming you have zero knowledge about computers. It will escalate from there but it will keep you on track and you will learn A LOT in only a few weeks/months. The main issue is finding out what to do after that and keeping at it.Even if I don't end up getting a job as a codeman I believe learning how to think algorithmically and solving problems by thinking as a computer scientist is an amazing skill to have. I realize it's extremely difficult to get a job as a junior dev with all the pajeets and AI but I won't fall for the doomer crap. My path of interest is embedded systems so there's at least something AI can't fully replace. My family has a farming business and we had to sent our combine onboard computer for repairs and we were charged a ridiculous amount of money for what I suspect was a very simple issue.Again, do CS50 (especially the problem sets). Just go for it anon, you will thank yourself.
American can weather the storm somewhat but europe is mega fucked.For decades they didnt build, they havd resources, they just thunk and now ai can do their job.
I'm a DevOps engineer and I can only script in BASH, not to a very high level too. Yes, really. I do make great money though, but mostly I got very, very lucky with my job and if I am to find another I probably need to be a better DevOps. Should I learn python, /g/ bros? I'm already improving my bash skills, but feel like I need something else too.
>>107820724For a job? No, it is not worth it. The industry is trash; computing has not produced anything actually useful in over 20 years. Almost everybody that works in the industry now is either retarded or fake or burned out and doesn't care anymore.For some other purpose? Maybe, but use case matters. I could see some useful knowledge in learning C and using it to program an MCU that drives some other purpose in the physical world.I wish that I'd picked something else. I am now going back to school to get an engineering degree in some other engineering field because I am tired of fake non-technical execufags treating devs like an expense that needs to be cut.Our society has lost touch with understanding the technologies that matter, instead we are just all staring at screens while the real technologies that drive civilization break down.TLDR: Any job which does not have a hands-on component that requires you to come on-site is trash and will just get outsourced to jeets.
>>107824952Agreed. Honestly programming is fun and a great skill to have, but I'd go with engineering as well. I regret not studying electrical or mechanical engineering way back and opted for compsci which I didn't even finish, because I got a job in the field as a sysadmin and my career went from there. I am doing well now, but definitely regret it. Is it worth pursuing engineering in your 30s?
>>107825016I personally believe that it is worth pursuing an engineering degree AT ANY AGE and especialy worth pursuing one if you truly plan to go all the way by working in the field and aim for becoming licensed PE in that field as the ultimate goal. https://ncees.orgIf said engineering field DOES NOT have a PE designation, then no it is not engineering it is fake.
>>107820842this is the worst fucking advice ever, no one should follow it. learn to code and use AI to help you
