I've been in the tech industry for about 12 years and learned my first programming language about 30 years ago. The choice of language really will depend on the sort of things that you want to do. That said, if choosing one of the three listed, I'd say Go with no reservation. It is a much better language for beginners than the other two as it is widely used, not esoteric, and has a C-like syntax.

I would probably recommend either Python or JavaScript as a better first language though, biased heavily towards Python because JavaScript's type system is awful (it still gets a lot done on the Internet though). Python is a great interpreted language that is very human readable. Yes, some hate that it uses whitespace for party of its syntax but there are very few footguns (don't mix tabs and spaces for indents and just don't use tabs, that's about all that isn't covered in a hello_world).

I would recommend C for the simplicity. You'll get familiar with the nitty gritties of a relatively featureless programming language. Which will let you view other languages and their tools with more nuance. But it all depends on what you want to do with it, want to program an MCU like Arduino or learn linux? C is perfect. If you want to build something with graphical interfaces like websites or GUI apps, I would suggest something else but C is still a good place to get started.

Here is something written by AI:

• Mental Toughness: C can be challenging, but mastering it builds strong problem-solving skills and a deeper appreciation for higher-level languages.
• Widespread Influence: Many popular languages like Java and C++ borrow heavily from C's syntax and concepts, making it easier to learn them later.
• Under the Hood: C provides a closer look at how computers work, memory management, and hardware interaction compared to higher-level languages.

Languages that caught my attention were Julia, Clojure and Go.

What about these languages caught your attention?

What are some good resources for someone like me who likes to learn by doing things?

Check out https://inventwithpython.com/

No to Python, Go, Lisp and C to begin. In fact at this level you just need to get a feel for process. You need to start where u feel attracted to. You need to learn principles and not languages nor frameworks. Im surprised not one of the replies gives an accurate picture of what it entails to think like a computer. Computation is not an efficient brain like a humans. It was made to work with the hardware we invented long ago. You have to learn the rudimentary and boring repetition the machine HAS to do so it can appear as a real memorable entity. A practical suggestion is to go install Linux From Scratch. When you complete that journey you will have a taste of some principles. Then I also suggest to simply rewrite character for character kilo.c. Why? So you learn how much a pain and a workout it is to crunch at the keyboard. Learn by doing. Learn by breaking and briking. Go find a game u love with all ur being and reverse engineer it. Who cares what u know at the moment, the goal is the process not the result and besides nothing is ever finished, just get it done. One baby step at a time. Oh and dont ask any more questions. All of those have been asked, its our jobs to find the answer. Please take all this as a simple nudges. None is written with any ill will, trolling nor negativity. Take away the knowledge not the pressumed attitude behind my words. Forget the internet and just dive into it. Another way is to pay some pro to mentor you. Good luck with that since most persons are too busy and are elite. Whatever u want to learn has to be done in the spirit of neglect. You cant care too much about computation. It is just a process for making fragmented business. No one NEEDS software nor money. We all agree to play these nonsensical games. Have fun and be grateful for the process itself. Good journey to you friend! Its a weird one. Ive been at it for 35 years and Im still a newbie.

PS The internet is filled with info. Its your job to determine the knowledge and not the judgement on the worth of the person who posted it. Too much drama and toxicity because everyone at the top of the food chain is pushing that vibe. Everyone everywhere is complaining about our violent ways, how we write to each other online and how we are all being subhuman. Peace to all!

#allerrorsmatter #cod-ape

ChatGPT is great at tutoring python. Go as well. Not sure on the others.

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