TIOBE’s latest report assesses the popularity of programming languages using the number of skilled engineers and search engine rankings. The results:

1. Java
2. C
3. C++
4. C#
5. Python
6. PHP
7. VisualBasic.NET
8. JavaScript
9. Assembly Language
10. Ruby
11. Perl
12. Delphi
13. VisualBasic
14. Swift
15. MATLAB
16. Pascal
17. Groovy
18. Objective-C
19. R
20. PL/SQL

TIOBE states their chart is not an indicator of suitability or the number of lines written. Some languages rise because they’re still used and are relatively older than others. There are a few surprises: is VisualBasic still popular? It’s rarely used by professional developers, but it could be that many people use it for simple ad-hoc applications. That said, I don’t know of anyone who’s used assembly language for many, many years?

DevPost Student Hackers Report, January 2016

The DevPost report analyzes the work of 13,281 students participating on almost 10,000 projects during the 2014-2015 academic year. The results show technologies used, although it’s intermingled with programming languages:

1. HTML/CSS
2. JavaScript
3. Python
4. Java
5. C/C++
6. PHP
7. Objective-C
8. C#
9. Swift
10. JSON
11. Ruby
12. XML
13. Ajax
14. Shell
15. Processing
16. Lua
17. CoffeeScript
18. Go
19. MATLAB
20. OpenGL

The results mostly highlight what students are working on in their spare time. The projects tend to be dominated by native apps, embedded micro-controllers and wearables, which can be fairly niche technologies in the business world. In addition, these are languages the students wanted to use. Whether they were viable or pleasurable is another matter!

Learn to Program Today!

I’m going to state this clearly. Again:

never choose a language from survey results

It would be like choosing to live in a particular town because it has a higher population than others. These statistics are interesting, but they don’t help you pick the most appropriate language for your situation, project requirements or career objectives.
Forget choosing a language and start coding in something. It doesn’t matter what you choose. Learn the basic concepts and the majority of other languages become just an alternative syntax.

…but Don’t Expect to Become Proficient Immediately

Developers often make coding look easy — but anything seems easy once you’ve learned it. Unfortunately, our industry has a tendency to underestimate the challenge.
Have you ever seen books or courses titled “Learn Aeronautical Engineering in 21 Days” or “Bridge Construction for Idiots”? Of course not, yet good developers will spend just as long learning their craft. The primary difference is that development has a lower barrier to entry, and you’re less likely to hurt anyone with shoddy code … unless your software is used to design aircraft or bridges!
Coding is difficult. You’ll be able to create a few simple programs within days, but you’ll need many months’ knowledge to confidently tackle a large application. Most professional jobs require several years of solid experience. Even then, you’re always learning. We all look back at carefully constructed programs developed six months ago and think “who wrote that nonsense?”

Can You Become a Developer?

Absolutely — but relatively few people will. If the job was easy, developer demand would never exceed supply. However, I do not believe developers are born with innate coding skills. Anyone can learn to program. Just like anyone can learn to play the guitar or speak Japanese … if they’re prepared to put the effort in.
The key is passion. If you’re excited about seeing your name on-screen or moving a green blob from one point to another, programming could be for you. The best developers are motivated by tasks and are mostly self-taught. Education, books and courses will help, but you only learn coding by doing it.

Where Should I Start?

SitePoint is primarily a web development resource, but the web is a hostile environment for beginners. Even if you concentrate on client-side development, you won’t get far without some knowledge of browsers, HTML and CSS (they’re not programming languages and are considerably more quirky!) Here are solid introductions to HTMLand CSS from our Premium content collection.
Native OS development in something like Java or C# isn’t much easier. There may be fewer dependencies, but many novices are bamboozled by the IDEs and tools required to get going. A lengthy compile step — which translates your code into something the computer can understand — isn’t conducive to learning.
An interpreted language such as Python, Ruby (we have a great intro) or JavaScript (in Node.js) (ditto) may be a better option, but some are daunted by the command line. It’s also difficult to create anything graphically interesting to hold your excitement.
Modern development environments are complex, and the initial learning curve is steep. I’m showing my age, but I consider myself fortunate to have learned coding on a ZX Spectrum in Sinclair BASIC. The choice was limited — as was the memory and capabilities — but it allowed me to grasp the basics (of BASIC and coding) without getting bogged down in a stack of related technologies.
We’ll never return to the simpler 8-bit days, but there are a number of BASIC environments which could help introduce you to the concepts of code structure, variables, looping and branching, e.g. Basic for Qt, SmallBasic, Basic256 or the ancientQBasic. Snobbier developers berate BASIC because it can teach bad practices, but writing a few lines of terrible code will teach you more than writing none.

Can I Become a Great Coder?

Yes — in time. The best coders go through several phases on their programming journey:

1. The “I know nothing” phase
   Everything is new, nothing is easy.
2. The “it’s starting to make sense” phase
   You’ve written a few programs and are making fewer mistakes.
3. The “I’m invincible” phase
   Your confidence matches your competence. No challenge seems too difficult.
4. The “I know nothing” phase, part II
   The sudden realization that development is infinitely more complex and you begin to doubt your own abilities.
5. The “I know a bit and that’s OK” phase
   You have decent coding skills but recognize your limitations and can find solutions to most problems (even if that means hiring another developer).

In my experience, the primary difference between good developers and great developers is curiosity. A great developer is never content to glue pre-written components together. They want to understand how things work. Completing a task in the quickest possible time is of lesser importance.
Consider writing your own libraries before using someone else’s work. For example, write your own JavaScript DOM manipulation functions or PHP database connectivity objects. Using jQuery or an ORM will allow you to produce something faster, but understanding the underlying technology is invaluable. Code re-use becomes increasingly important, but don’t be afraid to delve deeper while you’re learning.
Finally, never be afraid of picking the wrong language … there are no wrong ones. There are those that aren’t best suited to a specific project, but you’ll only discover that by trial and error. Pick an interesting project, choose any language and get going.
Best of luck!

Deric Lostutter, the 26-year-old “hacktivist” who leaked the evidence that led to the conviction of two of the Steubenville, Ohio rapists is now facing more time behind bars than the rapists he exposed. The Steubenville Rape Case made national headlines when a video made by the rapists themselves, and their friends, proved that their victim was unconscious and unable to consent.
Instead of giving Lostutter thanks for exposing these criminals, however, the FBI raided his house last April. At first, Lostutter had denied that he was the man in the video, but he decided to come forward after the appalling reaction of the rapists after they were exposed.
Lostutter is now facing ten years behind bars if indicted for obtaining tweets and social media posts which revealed the details of the rape as well as for threatening action against the Steubenville rapists and school officials who helped to cover up the crime. Lostutter posted the video to the Steubenville High School football team website, bringing national attention to the case and the cover-up.
Word of Lostutter’s 10-years comes just as one of the rapists themselves, Ma’Lik Richomond, 16, was just released from prison for “good behavior.”
The Richomond family released a statement, following the release, which focused on how hard the past 16 months have been for Ma’Lik. The attorney for Ma’Lik’s rape victim noted there was no apology made to her in that statement.
“Although everyone hopes convicted criminals are rehabilitated, it is disheartening that this convicted rapist’s press release does not make a single reference to the victim and her family — whom he and his co-defendant scarred for life. One would expect to see the defendant publicly apologize for all the pain he caused rather than make statements about himself. Rape is about victims, not defendants. Obviously, the people writing his press release have yet to learn this important lesson,” attorney Robert Fitzsimmons said.
Stay tuned. You will be hearing more about this story.

There is unease amongst residents of Phoenix, Arizona and its suburbs, who have spent the past six months fearing for their lives after a serial killer has made the city and its surrounding area his target zone. The killer, dubbed the "Serial Street Shooter" by local police, has attacked unassuming citizens at random, beginning on March 17th, 2016, when he shot a publicly unidentified 16-year-old man, who survived.
This sadly, has become an all too familiar feeling for the people of Phoenix, who from August 2005 to June 2006 were terrorized by two serial killers – The Serial Shooter and The Baseline Killer – simultaneously. These murderers were collectively responsible for the deaths of 11 citizens.
Since the Serial Street Shooter's first attack, Phoenix Police have linked him to nine attacks in all, resulting in the murder of seven civilians. It is now city officials' top priority to bring the shooter to justice. Here, everything you need to know about the Serial Street Shooter, and the ongoing investigation.
Who has been shot?On March 17th, the Serial Street Shooter struck his first victim, a 16-year-old man who was walking down the street around 11:30 at night, but he survived. (The names of surviving victims haven't been released.) The next night, a 21-year-old male was also wounded while standing outside of his car, but also survived. Then, on April 1st, the shooter murdered his first victim, 21-year-old Diego Verdugo Sanchez, outside of his home. It would be nearly three weeks before he would strike again, but when he did, he shot and fatally wounded Krystal Annette White, 55, on the street. His next victim was 32-year-old Horacio De Jesus Pena, who was shot and killed on June 3rd. Just one week later, Manuel Castro Garcia, 19, became the fourth victim. On June 12, at approximately 2:35 a.m. he shot into an empty car, and less than 30 minutes later, took the lives of Angela Linner, 31, Stefanie Ellis, 33, and Ellis's young daughter Maleah, who was just 12-years-old when she died. It was around this time that Phoenix Police began to believe they had a serial killer on their hands. The latest Serial Street Shooter attack came on July 11th, when the shooter attempted to kill a 22-year-old man, and his toddler nephew, who is just 4-years-old. Both of these victims escaped the incident uninjured, but the next day, Phoenix police announced to the public that they were on the hunt for a serial killer. 
How do they know what the shooter looks like?Phoenix Police have confirmed that the composite sketch of the "serial street shooter" matches that of the description given to them by the 22-year-old man who survived the July 11th attack. The victim described the suspect as a light-skinned latino man, in his early twenties. A separate report from CNN indicated that the man may also have a lanky build.
The July 11th incident took place when the unidentified man and his 4-year-old nephew were at a stop sign after leaving a nearby laundromat. A man in a black BMW sedan opened fire on them at point blank range using a handgun. Their vehicle was struck by two bullets, one on the driver's side and one on the passenger's side. Despite the circumstances, the victim managed to get a good look at the shooter and his vehicle. Both victims were uninjured.
Is there a motive?Establishing a motive for the serial shooter has proven a difficult task for Phoenix police, since he appears to choose his victims at random. There is also no indication of racial motivation, as his victims have been both hispanic and black – though he has targeted the predominantly lower-class latino neighborhood of Maryvale on multiple occasions, which could suggest a familiarity with the are. Furthermore, the victims have ranged in sex and age, with the oldest victim aged 55, and the youngest, just 12.
What's his modus operandi?The shooter tends to target unsuspecting people sitting in cars or standing outside at night. He arrives to the scene of the crime in a vehicle, and departs in it as well. He has fired shots from inside of his vehicle, and on at least one occasion, exited his vehicle to shoot three victims listening to music in their driveway. As far as the kind of car he drives, eye witness accounts have varied, leading police to assume that the he may have access to more than one vehicle. The majority of witness descriptions have matched the photograph of a black BMW sedan – though other witnesses claim to have seen the man in a light-colored Lincoln or Cadillac. Police have not officially ruled out the possibility of multiple suspects working together.
Do the police have any leads?The police are looking to the public for help in solving the serial shooter case, and know that they will play an integral role in bringing the shooter to justice. Members of the Maryvale neighborhood, and surrounding communities have provided more than 1,500 leads, none of which have lead to an arrest.
During a press conference on August 25th, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said "We know that someone out there knows who this person is." Brnovich also mentioned that the reward for information leading to the capture of the shooter had increased to $75,000, which has been confirmed via a status update posted on the Phoenix Police Department’s Facebook page.
Where are the Feds in all this?Phoenix police are so desperate to solve this case before there is any more bloodshed that the FBI has brought in its Behavioral Analysis Unit – or BAU, famous as the basis for, among other things the long-running CBS procedural Criminal Minds – to help look for clues that could help solve it. However, the BAU is playing their cards close to their chest, and won't discuss any details of the profile they are building, as to not tip the shooter off. 
Could this be the work of the "Phoenix Freeway Shooter"?Between August 27th and September 10th, 2015, eight vehicles were struck by bullets and three other vehicles on Interstate 10 were struck by "unspecified projectiles." Police have explored every possibility that these new shootings could be connected – although there are some similarities between these shootings and the new string, Police have yet to find forensic evidence connecting the crimes.
"They give us a list of things and then we kind of go through each one individually and see, this one might match, this one doesn't match," Phoenix Police homicide Lt. Ed DeCastro told the Arizona Republic in an early August interview. "Then we go old school and go through each report."
Police originally arrested a 21-year-old in September 2015 in connection to the highway shootings, though he was cleared of all charges last April.
You can help, even anonymouslyAnyone with information is encouraged to contact Phoenix Police Department's violent crimes bureau, or to leave a tip using the anonymous website Silent Witness, if they wish.
Investigators have also made it clear that solving this case is their top priority, and anyone fearing an immigration issue can come forward with information, without the fear of consequence – a real worry in Arizona these days.

The former OrangeIs the New Black actress and girlfriend Harley Gusman have split after more than two months of dating, People first reported.
“It just didn’t work out,” a source told the mag. “They weren’t on the same page.”
Rose, 30, and Gusman, who is the VP of marketing at skincare company Truly Organic, were first spotted together in June, when they dined at Hollywood eatery Katsuya.
A month later, the couple celebrated the Fourth of July at Taylor Swift’s star-studded bash in Rhode Island.
The pair’s breakup doesn’t appear to be messy as both Rose and Gusman have yet to delete their snapshots of one another from social media.
And as an insider told E! News, the Aussie actress’s busy schedule was to blame.
“She is shooting until the end of the year out of the country and focusing on her career,” the source shared.
Prior to romancing Gusman, Rose was briefly linked to singer Halsey after she and fiancée Phoebe Dahl called off their engagement last December.

A beautiful, inspiring and hugely talented singer and songwriter,Taylor Swift has earned lot of fame in few years of her career. Started at a young age, this singer and performer has shown wide range in her singing and great maturity in her writings for which she has been appreciated and awarded. The more you know her, the more you fall for her. So here few interesting facts about Taylor Swift you should know to adore her.
Image: wikimedia.org
1. Youngest artist to win a Grammy
Taylor Swift is the youngest artist to win a prestigious award of Grammy at the age of 20 for her Album ‘Fearless’. To date she has 7 Grammy’s.
Source: phactual.com
2. Wrote her first song at the age of 12
This talented star, wrote her first song, ‘Lucky You’ at the age of 12. When a repairman taught her how to play few strings of a guitar, this inspired her to write a song.
Source: boomsbeat.com

3. Novelist at a young age
Not only she started singing and writing songs at early age, Taylor also wrote a 350 page novel at the age of 12 which has never been published. She surely knows her way with the words!
Source: thefactsite.com, image: wikimedia.org

4. Taylor fears…
Taylor Swift has few fears to her list which includes snakes and spiders which terrify her. Also she fears death and not ending up happy. So she isn’t too different than many of us!
Source: taylorswift.com, image: wikimedia.org
5. Taylor is kind of blind
Taylor Swift supposedly has very bad eyesight which is like nearly blind and she wears big chunky glasses when not using contacts.
Source: tasteofcountry.com, image: youtube
6. She is terrified of tattoos
Well most super stars love having ink on them; this country girl is terrified of the idea of getting a tattoo. She says that she cannot commit to any one symbol or saying for the rest of her life.
Source: boomsbeat.com

7. Instrument queen
Taylor Swift not just writes and sings well but is very good with instruments. She can play Guitar, Piano, Ukulele, Electric Guitar and Banjo.
Source: thefactsite.com, image: flickr
8. For her first job, she did bugs examinations
Well long before she ruled the world, this singer participated in family business during holidays and used to check all Christmas trees for bugs. That surely is an interesting first job!
Source: phactual.com
9. About Harry Styles

The pop star who is known to write about her Ex admits in a recent interview that three songs in 1989 are about Harry Styles namely “I Wish You Would,” “All You Had To Do Was Stay,” and the perfectly titled “Style.”
Source: buzzfeed.com, image: wikimedia.org
10. Only artist to have an album hit 1 million
Taylor Swift is known to be the only artist in the music history to have an album hit 1 million 1^st week sales figure three times. Her 3 albums to have that are Speak Now(2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014).
Source: taylorswiftplanet.com, image: wikimedia.org
11. Taylor Grandmother was an Opera Singer
So we gathered that the singing runs in Taylor’s blood. Her grandmother on her Mom’s side, Marjorie Finlay, was an accomplished opera singer and apparently, Taylor looks a lot like her.
Source: therowdy.com
12. First host to write her own monologue at SNL
The famous show ‘Saturday Night Live’ generally have writers to take care of celebrity’s host monologue, but Taylor was the first one to come up with her own song called ‘My Monologue Song’.
Source: tasteofcountry.com
13. Obsessed with Disney
The beautiful singer admits that she is obsessed with everything Disney and follows the Disney legacy.
Source: taylorswift.com, image: wikimedia.org
14. Won a Poetry Award
At the age of 10, Taylor Swift won a national poetry award for a poem she wrote, named “Monster in My Closet”.
Source: news.moviefone.com, image: wikimedia.org
15. Records and Awards
In the year 2009, Taylor Swift broke a country music world record by selling more digital downloads than any other country artist which was selling more than 20 million hits.
Source: thefactsite.com, image: wikimedia.org
16. Rich celebrity stuff

As connected as she can get to her fans, this star surely has rich celebrity stuff to flaunt. She owns an 8-bedroom summer house in coastal Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Also she owns a Dassault Falcon 900 private jet- and an airport hangar at Nashville International Airport.
Source: thefactsite.com, image:  trending.report
17. The Big Help Award by Michelle Obama
In the year 2012, the first lady, Michelle Obama presented the Big Help Award to Taylor for her dedication to helping others and inspiring others through actions. Way to go Swift!
Source: telegraph.co.uk, image: wikimedia.org
18. Her Dad is her Best Friend
The adorable Taylor once said that she and her dad are very similar. They both love English language and read the same books. She considers her dad as her best friend. How many of you are saying, Awwww?
Source: taylorswiftplanet.com, image:  starcasm.net
19. Obsessed by iPhone cases
Taylor is known to be obsessed with iPhone cases especially the vintage ones. She loves the handmade ones available on Etsy.

Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston haven’t been spotted together for weeks, but are they really on the rocks?
According to a new report, Taylor Swift is focused on her friend, Selena Gomez, who recently announced struggles with panic attacks, anxiety, and depression, as Hiddleston continues to film the upcoming installment of Thor in Australia.
At the end of last month, Us Weekly revealed Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston had engaged in a “major fight” after the distance between them put a strain on their relationship, and now a report regarding the possible end of their relationship has surfaced.
“Taylor Swift’s relationship with Tom Hiddleston is allegedly on the rocks. However, it seems like she is reaching her hand out to her best friend Selena Gomez even if she has her personal relationship problems to solve,” the Hall of Fame Magazine revealed to readers on September 2.
Movie News Guide also spoke of Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston’s possibly impending split on August 31, claiming their absence at the recent MTV Video Music Awards was the result of their strained relationship.
“Tom Hiddleston has too much on his plate while his lady love, Taylor Swift is not as busy as she has wrapped up her music tour. It appears the distance is tearing the relationship apart,” the outlet explained.
Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston began dating in June of this year — just weeks after Swift’s relationship with Calvin Harris came to an unexpected and abrupt end. While Swift was believed to have rushed to Harris’ side at the end of May after learning that he was involved in a car accident in Los Angeles, their split was confirmed days later, and two weeks after that, Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston stepped out in Rhode Island.
During a beach visit, Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston made their affections for one another quite clear as they kissed and held hands. Meanwhile, rumors began swirling regarding possible infidelity due to the fact that Swift had been seen dancing with Hiddleston during the Met Gala in New York City in early May.
In other Taylor Swift news, the singer is reportedly in “constant” contact with longtime friend Selena Gomez, who announced she would be taking a break from her career and ongoing tour earlier this week.
In a statement to fans on Tuesday, Gomez revealed that she has been experiencing panic attacks, depression and anxiety, which have been prompted by her battle with Lupus. In turn, she revealed she would be taking “some time off.”
A short while later, a report claimed Taylor Swift had been rallying around her friend and letting her know that she is completely supportive of her decision to focus on her health.
“[Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez] have been in constant communication with each other” throughout Gomez’s struggles, a source told Hollywood Life on August 31. “Taylor has made it clear to Selena that she has her back and can come spend time with her whenever she wants… Taylor wants to try and see Selena as soon as she can to give her a big hug.”
Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez have been close friends for years, and while they are often on different sides of the country — Swift spends the majority of her time in New York City while Gomez is based out of Los Angeles — they always seem to make time for one another when they have extra time.