What?
I sat down and Googled “what is computer networking?”. I got an answer about topology, or some other random aspect of networking, and spiraled down a rabbit hole of vague and esoteric sounding computer theory. From qubits to bits and bytes, binary to hex, git to go, and all the betweens.
After a couple weeks of feverishly searching out topics , a foggy roadmap began to emerge. I had a basic concept of how these ideas fit together , and a path forward through free or very cheap online certifications and projects. The vague path forward, it seemed to me, was as follows:
Networking
It quickly became clear that any hope of a career in tech hinged on a thorough understanding of networking. I thought networking was connecting cables and switching the input to hdmi. Here I am almost a year later, and I’m still learning exactly what this vast topic entails. It was my search for “networking” that led me to IBM and their free learning resource: https://skillsbuild.org. Let me tell you, this one is definitely worth it. For high school or college students, or adult learners, with free introductory level certifications on web development, cybersecurity, and IT among many others, there is only upside. I found myself in a position where I needed a new career stat, and I knew absolutely not the first thing about computer science. I took the intro IT course from IBM, and learned all the basics. Highly recommend.
Programming Language(s)
Python is hard. Chat gpt is easy. Learning code may be a thing of the past. That being said, It didn’t stop me from trying to learn a couple languages, and I am still struggling forward. Stick around, though, for several high quality free programming learning tools. To get started with an amazing contritbution supported/free resource, check out: https://www.freecodecamp.org/ ! They provide interactive lessons on any and every thing programming language related.
Specialization (i.e.: security, engineering, admin, etc)
My plan is to take an a super in depth look at each of these as and when I can by way of some incredible specimens of free and almost free resources that will rock your socks off.
Apology:
I am still learning, so forgive me if this list ( and the writing) looks hacky. I’m a hack, not a hacker. But, I realized while I may not have a knack for all areas of tech, I am a good at finding valuable free resources. My aim is to present those here in hopes that others find them useful.
Key Takeaways:
The most important thing I have learned thus far, is that you don’t have to figure it out alone. There are communities and content galore, and I wish I had utilized these earlier in my journey. I spent a lot of time chasing my tail, trying to distinguish good info from bad. Once I got my bearings a bit and began to use common sense I saw that it had been all around me. So, here are those resources, presented throughout the site.
As I am still learning, I think it would be prudent to disregard everything I say until you have verified it for yourself. Welp back to harassing Bard.
Thanks for stopping by,
I hope we can grow together, and remember:
The more I learn, the less I know.
EAalz
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