Top 10 - what it costs to learn in 2019

From the translator: we publish for you an article by Professor William Buchanan - a geek and a developer. He tells about ten main things that he would like to master in the coming 2019.

Our life should consist of constant movement forward, learning new. So let 2019 be a year of self-improvement and progress in this digital world. If possible, try to avoid superficial learning, it is better to study the essence of things. Here is my own list of what I would like to learn next year.

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Python programming. I worked and work with C, C ++, C #. I studied ASP.NET MVC and developed websites based on this technology. Then it began to seem to me that the basis of everything was Visual Studio. But as it turned out, there is another way, which is much more interesting and exciting. This path is Python.

I began to work with him, and problems in the implementation of some tasks disappeared. Despite the fact that I still do not like the syntax of the language and avoid using some things, Python has become my # 1 for many new projects. This language is everywhere - in the world of bitcoin, web services, everywhere.

So why not learn Python yourself and not teach him children at school? Just a few lines of code can help build a new digital universe. In general, now our world is a combination of Python, Java, .NET, JavaScript and many other software platforms, which makes it possible to create systems from the "fusion" of all this.

Learn Crypto! No, not cryptocurrencies, but cryptography. Today, cryptography is a weak spot in the cybersecurity world. For me, she is an analogue of Ohm’s law for an electrician. Cryptography should be the center of the digital world.

There is no need to study thoroughly all the mathematical methods that underlie it, but what everyone needs to learn is hashing, public key encryption, symmetric keys and signatures.

Zero-knowledge Proofs (ZKPs). We live in a crazy digital world. We still ask users to enter passwords for identification. But why not use other methods that do not require the use of a bunch of "login / password"? Our future needs reliable protection of private information, users in this case do not need passwords, a more serious level of security is required. So learn ZKP.

Homomorphic encryption. Why do we still operate on data that reveal the source information? It is necessary to strive to process data using encryption, but so that it does not interfere with the conduct of normal operations.

Some people try to change the network using ZCash and Monero and methods that allow you to process information without disclosing the original data. If we can actually create systems of this type, then we will properly enter the GDPR world, and not this fake space, only compatible with the GDPR we created.

Write more in javascript. A few years ago, I predicted that JavaScript would die out, because working with it is hard. In fact, I was completely mistaken. JavaScript continues to thrive, developers are creating more and more new systems based on this language. Node.js helps them too.

As for me, I found a suitable Git repository, working with the npm install command and a few lines of code plus a small debugging console (yes, my debugging method is still alert (msg)). In the JavaScript world, we again see the essence of all things, and in many cases it all works much better than in other, more complex development environments. The days of the DLL are long past, so long life of browser integration.

Mastering Pandas and data visualization . The world of data is now in our hands. Python and R have opened it to study and analysis. Therefore, my key advice is to understand Pandas. Of course, along with mathematical methods.

But data analysis alone is almost useless if you cannot visualize anything. Therefore, try to submit data, expressing them graphically. Charts and much more - that should be learned to create.

Elliptical cryptography. It is this branch of cryptographic science that helps protect our transactions, identities, network connections. It works thanks to a solid mathematical base and helps to put in order a chaotic digital world full of various protocols. Blockchain, Ledgers, DAG - all this is elliptic cryptography.

Big Data and Cybersecurity. When we say cybersecurity, we mean big data, and vice versa. The rate of detection and elimination of hacking has never been so critical. My advice is to open up Splunk, get some data collections and start exploring the whole thing. Developer experience in the future is an analytical experience. So let's train your brain.

AWS. Amazon Web Services is now playing a key role in the digital world. If you look back, you will see how AWS has gradually become a more meaningful service for everyone. Unfortunately, now AWS is not used to the full extent, but we are learning fast. And companies that will be able to master the Amazon services before anyone else will become market leaders.

Protocols and networks. Cybersecurity is networks and protocols. Without knowing them, you cannot understand its basics. Therefore, install virtual machines, firewalls and build your network. And then begin to study it, using a variety of methods.

Actually, this is all that I wanted to advise. And what can you suggest to explore in 2019?

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