The more I program and do things, the more I realise how little people actually know. They just do, and hope it turns out okay. And that is awesome. I want more people to realise that. Just program and push stuff out. You will learn so much.
I truly think this is the best possible approach: there is clearly a fine line between being a dedicated follower and being a dedicated participant of something. Not that there's anything wrong with the former, but if your goal is become an active participant, you have to engage in what ever it is you're seeking.
Everyday I make sure I spend as much time as I can working on what ever goals I've set out for myself. It's not always consistent. Some days are very unproductive. But overall it's been effective.
This idea sounds really great until you start to "do" and have to suffer from all the failure, the time and energy you spend on doing that instead of other things you are used to, like with friends and family, at work or school. Just doing one thing for a long time is a f*cking lot harder then it sounds.
Btw. kudos to that mother who played CS and lost for so many times until she got decent enough to fight back. She definitely is way more resilient then I am.
It's an interesting article, but I think it's an oversimplification. In CS (the game), there's some strategy, but most can be picked up on the fly. There isn't a need to abstract away details, there isn't loads of theory that can help you make better choices. You're either more or less proficient.
I think the analogy breaks down for CS (programming). There are a number of concepts you won't likely grok without first reading them. A much better strategy is to read then do. Both are necessary, and you need a balance. All doing or all reading won't get you as far as a balanced approach. Programming is significantly more complex than playing a video game.
For me, it's a cycle. I have trouble reading about something when I don't know WHY I am reading about it. If I 'do' first, then hit a wall, then read, then I really care about the reading because I've got skin in the game. Then I'm trying to solve a problem, which makes me happy.
I agree with the OP, but I feel that there is something that is missing, especially re programming.
In addition to "do" there is also "practice".
Look at competitive sports, more time is spent practicing than doing, often breaking things down and practicing with an exaggerated level of formality.
I believe that this applies to coding too, intentional practice can be a coding dojo, or hammering out a couple more project euler problems, or a weekend project, but I believe that the best coders "practice" as much as "do".
The recent Ludum Dare competition has inspired me, though. Especially Notch's incredible entry and live broadcast of his programming.
So the first thing I set out to do was to practice. And by practice, I mean write games. My plan:
Write games. Lots of them. Every week until the next Ludum Dare.
It's the best way to improve.