Unknown unknowns

I'm always pretty offended by people who intend to become programmers by taking a 1-week course on Java or reading a "Teach Yourself" tutorial. Here's Peter Norvig's advice on the topic. The more you know about programming, the more you become aware of your own limitations. People who think they can "pick up" programming quickly are blissfully ignorant of the vastness of their ignorance. I guess that's probably true of most skills.