Statements about "program or be programmed" are more than just catch phrases: they reflect the reality of living in a digital world. To be literate today requires at least some basic programming skills. Previously, I've taken courses in programming logic, XML, and html. I've largely avoided programming.
A few months ago, I made an offer to my children: learn how to program in python and I'll buy you a Macbook Air.
It was partly a selfish offering - by asking them to start programming, I'm somewhat forced to spend time developing skills myself.
Why Python?
Python has a reputation for being a fairly easy programming language to use and I've had some very limited experience with it (years ago, I ran my own Zope/Plone install). Programming purists have argued that python is closer to being a scripting language (compared with Java and C languages). I'm not a purist and am quite happy to begin messing around with python and call in programming.
Why this site?
The goal of this site is to track resources and share progress (mainly for myself and my children...but anyone who is randomly bored can certainly follow along).
In terms of the name - it's been stated that you don't really know a language until you think in it. I'm not sure how one would actually "think in python", but it seems like a worthy target for learning.
