I'll check out the django girls, thanks. There's also a group of women coders in DC who hold a lot of trainings and events. I'll see if they have a level I python coming up.
You made me think about something about the GUI's: In my old job I used alteryx because we were working with datasets from 20M-250M. When I got laid off, I lost access to alteryx (unless I want to get a free trial). I asked a guy who's pretty familiar with my skillset what I should be using, R? He said to look for an open source gui/alteryx alternative. I found one called KNIME that I like a lot. But, what I'm gathering is, you think this is a crutch too. Will Python enable me to do the same things that I do with that kind of big data processing program? Should I be aiming for that as the ultimate rather than "mastering" KNIME (or whatever, just looking to design my curriculum). At my old job when I asked the same guy about SQL and how some of the coding bits we did in the tool configuration looked like SQL, he said alteryx is SQL on crack. I need SOMETHING to use for analysis for the tests I'm going to have to take when I job hunt so I'm exploring KNIME right now and doing the data manipulation into what I'd do in access for analysis. I know, I need stats too. You were educated as a biologist? I was educated as a pianist, writer, and historian, lol. I have a lot to learn. However, we're veering away from postgres, which may not be appropriate on the forum. I'd like to continue the conversation, though. On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 7:38 PM, Adrian Klaver <adrian.kla...@aklaver.com> wrote: > On 12/08/2016 04:19 PM, Metare Solve wrote: > >> Sorry, I got on so many lists yesterday. I'm really not that dense. >> >> I have absolutely no language programming skills and it is very very >> frustrating. I can HTML and that's it. I desperately want to develop the >> skills but whenever I try on my own, I hit the same wall as I do with >> SQL. I'm just bad at the deep dives into code and really need some >> honest help. I kind of had this kind of help at my old job but I got >> laid off on 11/30 and I don't think it's appropriate to ask them anymore. >> >> SQL experience: Only MS Access. I know it sucks, but it's all my boss >> "let" me use (it didn't occur to me for a while to pursue it on my own >> after she told me "no" for whatever odd reason she had). But! I can use >> that GUI like a champ. I used Access for all of my data crunching, my >> biggest record set was 600k so I didn't need anything more powerful. The >> reason I think I can learn SQL with just a bit of guidance is I know the >> concepts behind "where" and "group buys" and "unique," etc, but I miss a >> ; and get an error and then get frustrated. >> > > GUI's only get you so far. At some point you will need to dive deeper to > get what you. I am mostly a self taught programmer(biologist by training) > so I understand the hill you are facing. The language I use is Python, > mainly because to me it made sense. For you it might be a good choice as it > is quite prevalent in the data analysis world. There are a lot of places to > turn to to learn how to use it. My suggestion for seeing if it is something > you can use would be to start here: > > https://tutorial.djangogirls.org/en/ > > Go through at least the Introduction to Python part. The rest has to do > with Django, Web framework built using Python. > > If you want an immersion into programming the events that Django Girls put > on are a good place to start: > > https://djangogirls.org/events/ > > I have seen it action at my local Linux Fest and it is impressive. > > > > >> Purpose of the project: >> >> Eh, a bunch of things. >> >> - The project is to build my Tableau skills, for one. There are a lot of >> (work from home) jobs out there that call for Tableau skills and I know >> the best way to learn something is to do it. I think using the SQL >> database as a source will enable me to learn a lot of things in one >> stroke. >> >> - The project will also give me a product (eventually multiple) to embed >> on a website when I start looking for "clients," or what have you. Just >> starting a portfolio. >> >> - I have two projects, one of them is to analyze crime rates around the >> moon phases. Just a question my dad once posed as a science project that >> I blew off. Now seems kind of interesting to me to pursue. Will give me >> date experience, mapping if I want it, can go down to the precinct >> level, etc. The other is some data I've been collecting for about 15 >> months on a pixel dragon game I play. I want to build a dashboard to >> manage my lair/income/value, etc. That is definitely where the SQL >> database comes in. I think the moon one is just data blending. >> >> - To give me intellectual stimulation because I am a nerd. >> >> Just a note, I'm a female gen x with a master's degree in library and >> information science. I took a database design class in grad school and >> it was the biggest waste of money and time. lol, I wish I'd had these >> project ideas then, I could have gone to the teacher with them. >> >> Meta >> >> >> >> >> >> On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 6:59 PM, Adrian Klaver <adrian.kla...@aklaver.com >> <mailto:adrian.kla...@aklaver.com>> wrote: >> >> On 12/08/2016 03:46 PM, Metare Solve wrote: >> >> Hi, >> >> I'm looking for an online mentor, someone I can chat/email and ask >> questions of. Maybe "meet up" and have a direct chat. I've been >> trying >> to get into SQL for years and I just... have... problems. It's >> very >> frustrating and at this point in my career is going to keep me >> from >> getting a new job. (I was just laid off on 11/30.) >> >> I have a project in mind: I want to build an SQL db to house some >> datasets and sit a tableau dashboard/storyboard on top. A data >> engineer >> at my old job said that would be his preferred method, and I >> think it >> would be a useful project to learn SQL. >> >> I know this is the pgadmin support and not a postgres, but I'm >> technically going to be using pgadmin so it's tangentially >> related ;) >> >> >> Actually this is the Postgres mailing list. >> >> FYI, the pgAdmin list is here: >> >> https://www.postgresql.org/list/pgadmin-support/ >> <https://www.postgresql.org/list/pgadmin-support/> >> >> Though pgAdmin is often discussed on this list(pgsql-general). >> >> >> Any input, even on the project? >> >> >> >> What language(s) do you plan to program in? >> >> What studying on SQL have you done? >> >> What will the purpose of the project? >> >> >> >> thanks, >> meta >> >> >> >> -- >> Adrian Klaver >> adrian.kla...@aklaver.com <mailto:adrian.kla...@aklaver.com> >> >> >> > > -- > Adrian Klaver > adrian.kla...@aklaver.com >
