Okay, serious question: What is an example of a mid-sized project to really begin hacking on Clojure? Simple programs utilizing multiple namespaces for trivial reasons are great and all, but if I want to really understand what Clojure can do for me in a few weeks, what should I be trying to build?

My first Clojure app fetched large gobs of interconnected data from a graph database (Neo4j). That data needed to be sliced into many different shapes. Clojure and its many standard functions made the task surprisingly easy and fun.

My first Clojure project was a simple chat server with multiple rooms. Built in a couple of days, and convinced me that it is indeed a powerful language.

These are all really helpful points. I've been trying to do #1 over the past few months but I'm not sure if what I'm good at is valued in this environment. I think I have a little bit of processing to do to understand if that's a problem with me or them.

I especially appreciate #3. Thank you. :)

Thanks for this--I think the guys I work with do care about clean design and code. However, as soon as we start to discuss bigger concepts like that the lingo changes from practical to highly technical. Having little computer science background, I definitely end up missing some of it.

Thanks for your thoughts. :) I think I definitely need to focus more on building my own projects if just to keep practicing what I do know and have the opportunity to build something more complex.

This is really helpful advice--being primarily self-taught, I've probably missed out on a lot of the "whys." Thank you. :)

Well, what do you mean by "teach yourself?" It's one thing to read up/use trivially vs becoming fully competent at speaking about it and using it. Or is it normal to be googling things every day until it sticks?

I think its perfectly normal to be googling things every day for the rest of your life in programming.

The notion of there being a wizened old man who just sits there and "knows everything about it" is, if not a myth, exceptionally rare.

Sure over time, bits stick and foundations build and you grow to be relatively expert on some topic. But if you stand still or grow too comfortable with what you've got, these days the world will move past and leave you behind.

Thank you--those are three things I suppose I could get better at. :)

Developer bootcamps are expensive, but offer more than just knowledge. If you're looking to get a job as a software developer, paying for a bootcamp allows you access to experts but also to a network typically geared towards getting you a first job. Access to a network is an invaluable boost in any career, but especially for individuals trying to bootstrap their way into it.

With that said, I'd totally do this because learning Python online while being able to ask questions seems pretty sweet. But I don't know if I would substitute this for an initial education.

All fair points. I would say that this is a great way to get your feet wet with coding before you decide to take the HUGE life leap of a bootcamp. They're expensive in not only $ terms but also your time.

This way, you can see if you enjoying both coding and conversing about code (which is half of your job as a developer)

Fair points back--plenty of people think they like coding (or think it's something else entirely) without having really done it. Best of luck with it. :)

Is there a Colorado > Berlin movement starting? Am planning to visit there for a good month over the next year. :)

Working at a coffee shop now--don't see what the problem is. :)

Wait, are you working, or reading and commenting on HN?

I mean - I too call that working, or at least "working" :) I don't mean to criticize!

Have loved following ooomf since about March of this year. Brilliant, simple service.

Thanks! So happy you enjoy it.