Tutorial Hell

Something many new programmers experience.

You have gone through many programming tutorials. Many times you haven't finished them. You keep learning new languages. You can maybe program some text adventures or simple web pages, but not anything useful. You don't want to start creating any programs because you feel like it's really bad and not useful to anyone. You keep starting new tutorials and have probably learnt arrays, functions, loops and objects/classes 10 different times in different tutorials and languages. You feel like you know a lot about programming, but at the same time you don't know anything.

Welcome to Tutorial Hell.

I've been in tutorial hell for such a long time now. I need to simply start creating something and not listen to my inner critic.

Tutorial Hell by WorkingClassEngineer October 3, 2020

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Tutorial Hell

When you are learning Computer Science and programming but unfortunately you don't understand any of the code you wrote down from the tutorial but it works. Not only that you cannot write your own. It is very hard to get out of this and be able to write your own code. So it is a hell.

You can't just watch a tutorial. You have to add new things that wasn't explained or you will never escape Tutorial Hell.

Tutorial Hell by hvmh April 25, 2020

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Tutorial Hell

'Tutorial hell' is typically the stage when beginner programmers come to 'sort of' knowing how to build some simple things, but nothing really complex or scalable. They seem to need a tutorial for every other task they are in need of doing.

The newbie developers we've hired seem to be in tutorial hell and can't seem to code anything useful by themselves.

Tutorial Hell by ScaryTRex June 28, 2019

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tutorial hell

Tutorial hell is a state where one endlessly consumes tutorials without ever truly mastering a subject or starting a meaningful project. This is a state of perpetual learning, often marked by the consumption of one tutorial after another without putting acquired knowledge into practice. While tutorials are excellent for grasping concepts, relying solely on them can hinder your progress.

I’ve been in tutorial hell for weeks now, watching endless videos on web development, but I still haven’t built a single project—just consuming knowledge without applying it!

tutorial hell by Emotional Cruiser October 13, 2025

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Hate Sink

A person you hate intensely not because they deserve such hatred but because they serve as a focus for your general hatred. A healthy way to dispense with excess animosity.

Jake's not really that big an asshole. He just serves as my hate sink.

Hate Sink by The great prophet Zarquon August 7, 2016

Word of the Day on July 26, 2026

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funiosity

The art of being peculiar, but in an amusing fashion.

"Wow, look at that dog running on three legs"
- "Yeah, that sure is a funiosity"

funiosity by Supersonic Stevie November 23, 2007

Word of the Day on July 25, 2026

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Toe Rag

A toe rag was originally a foot wrapping used, since mediaeval times up until the mid-nineteenth century, to protect the foot from chafing by boots or shoes. As these were, quite literally, rags they weren’t usually washed, and so with use they became very smelly until they were thrown away. Because of the similarity in smell, toe rag also became the name applied to dried, salted cod or other things with a strong, unpleasant, fishy smell. It didn’t take that long before the name was applied to someone who was an obnoxious, unpleasant OIC.

1 “Socks! Those aren’t socks you smelly git, they’re toe rags!”
2 “What have you been cooking? Smells like toe rag!”
3 “I can smell ‘er fanny from ‘ere, proper toe rag.”
4 That Heale Malcolm is a right toe rag.

Toe Rag by AKACroatalin November 29, 2016

Word of the Day on July 24, 2026

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