NSA Shares Free Python Course for Beginners

Python. Despite having 30 years on its shoulders, the language is going through a fabulous moment of popularity, and teaching material on the Web has multiplied, along with thousands of experts sharing their experiences almost daily. However, programmer Chris Swenson (better known as Cupcake on Twitter) preferred to follow a different path: under the so-called "Freedom of Information Act", asked the NSA to publish all its training material related to Python. Do you want to program like a secret agent? Now you can.

If someone asks for a recommendation on a programming language to learn in the short and medium term, they will most likely receive much conflicting information (since every programmer likes to defend the environment they feel most comfortable in) but if there are three that stand above the rest, they are JavaScript, Java, and Python.

And the available material is... impressive. For example, you can learn the essence of JavaScript in less than 15 minutes, practice with more than a dozen languages online, or learn to program by playing. No matter your level, there will always be someone out there willing to help. Now, the truth is that all these solutions are strictly personal, oriented to self-taught learners. What happens when a company or government agency must train new personnel?

Free Python Course, with Help from the NSA

Thanks to the request of programmer Chris "Cupcake" Swenson, today we can find out. The so-called FOIA, acronym for Freedom of Information Act, allows all US citizens to obtain federal information. Logically, governments in power don't always comply with FOIA or do so partially, but Swenson's request doesn't create a security conflict: access to the NSA's Python training material.

Swenson admits that he did it out of pure curiosity, and he didn't expect a very broad response, but what he received in return was a copy of the official COMP 3321 course, which spans almost 400 pages. The course is especially oriented to beginners, and mentions that "if you don't know any language yet, Python is a good place to start".

The text includes a quick introduction, words from its creator Guido van Rossum, the potential applications of a language like Python, and details about its growing popularity. In addition, the NSA itself suggests that the course can be completed in a full two-week block, or split to create a more friendly and relaxed pace.

Are you interested and know a little English? Then you know what to do: Visit Archive.org and download the PDF. Swenson mentions that the agency decided to retain some materials, and he will try to obtain them through new FOIA requests, but he considers the initial response to be good, and he can't feel disappointed receiving 400 pages of previously classified content.

Download the PDF: Click here

Source: ZDNet