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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
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Hello<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>
I have scoured the earth looking for any Australian computer trainers that can
meet my needs. I am a maths graduate who’s starting programming as a
beginner. I have messed about with python, java and perl. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>
Cost is not a real issue. I am prepared to pay for a good course taught by
people who know their stuff. More important is to do a course online that
covers the specifics of programming: OOP, applets etc. The language also isn’t
that important. I would even be prepared to give Perl another go in spite of my
expressed distaste for it on this list! The learning style matters –
those 5 day intensive things are no good for me. Rather, I prefer a course that
is spread out over time. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>
TAFE is too vague in its course descriptors. Postgraduate uni costs the earth
and I don’t understand that fee help business. I am reluctant to take a
chance on a course for fear of not getting what, I assume, is one of a very
limited number of fee help places. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>
So, as a last resort I have had to look overseas even with losses through
exchange rates. There are no courses online in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region> that meet my needs, as undemanding
as I consider my needs to be. Thus I have found an excellent overseas online
course from the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
and have enrolled. It teaches all programming including Perl. But I will be
starting with a general intro course on OOP. I won’t say what the school
is – that may not be appropriate on this list. But to give the most
unsubtle attempt at a cryptic clue you would be Irish if you couldn’t
guess it. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>
I am both disappointed and surprised at the lack of IT offerings in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>. With
all due respect to the people reading this who teach Perl, you are not focused on
people like me. Rather, your market is corporate where the employer pays for
the training and the employee takes 5 days off work to do intensive Perl
training. In itself that is not objectionable since it’s a valid market.
But it does zap out people like me. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>
Paul Keating spoke of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>
being the clever country. In the world of IT training we are the very very dumb
country. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>
John <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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