I'm am a 44 year old male & due to a work related injury I am unable to work but am trying to plan for my future. I have a very messed up lower back. I don't know which way to go as far as the information technoloy field. I thought I would learn about reparing computers & troubeshooting. I also thought of learning computer programming but not sure if one can learn it on their own .I would appreciate suggestions.. I did buy a Cd that was suppose to teach one C & C++ computer programming at ww.comptersciencelab.com . But the Cd seems to be very vague to me for somoeone who never programed in their life. I don't know if the Cd is just not for me or one needs an instructor to learn about C & C++ programing. The CD starts out with the history of computers then goes into RPN calcualtors etc. It just seemed to me that it wan't I was looking for or not well written. Perhaps it more involved then I thought. I'm not sure. I had worked as a radiological technologist & nuclear medicine technologist for 20 years. I would appreciate any advice as which literature or materials that is for free or to buy does a good job of teaching computer programing or related path to take .Thanks

I would suggest learn a very basic language like Basic or Pascal to get into groove of programming to start of with then move to more complex languages like C and C++, one can easily learn any language on internet. I learnt html, java, php and sql all from different online tutors available. Wish you good luck with your future.

There are many areas you can do other then programming in IT, that would not require you to stress your back.

Helpdesk support, Application training, webmaster, graphics designer, and so on.

You can start at any one of these paths and not require some major training investments.

I would not suggest a career in programming. I'm a programmer, and have seen the field dramatically polarize. Either you'll need to be a PHD working at Microsoft, or a low-wage employee working at a giant outsourcing company.

For someone in the middle, like me, the field is shrinking and shrinking, and wages are dropping dramatically.

Programming in the "developed" world is fast becoming a cottage industry, with small groups (1 or 2 people) providing custom solutions for small to mid-size private companies.

If I were starting over today, I'd look at networking (routers, servers, cabling), since that is fast growing and will transition to optical soon.

On the other hand, small town, local "computer handy-man" has a market: someone who can install a new DVD drive, show you how to use eBay, and remove all the spyware you dumped on your system.

I wish you well.

This is very much true.
Networking, although sounds very promising, has a high barrier to entry. You will be required more training then as a programmer, and the networking training does not stop.

Once you learn a programming language, then master it, there is not much more to "learn" (yes, there is always new algorithms, methodologies, etc.), but the language itself is stable.

Networking is just the opposite. The development is non-stop and there is always new things an individual needs to learn, or face extinction.

Does anyone remember ARCNet, how about Token Ring, LANtastic, Novell, Vines (and these are the big names)? Those were hot items in networking "recently". We had to know it inside and out. Today you will be hard pressed to find someone who can identify half of these past technologies.

The point is, you might not have to learn the historical technologies in networking, but I guarantee you that if you want to keep your job in networking, and make a decent living, you better be prepaired to pick up at least two or three new technology related knowledge a year.


This is very true. Such niche can be had, and potentially gain local business contracts. Expanding into web development and such would further enhance your local guru status.