From the post:
I took programming in high school, but I never took to it. This, I strongly believe, is because it wasn’t taught right—and teaching it right means starting at the beginning, with unix. The reason for this is three-fold: (1) it gives you a deeper sense of how a high-level computer works (which a glossy front, like Windows, conceals); (2) it’s the most natural port of entry into all other programming languages; and (3) it’s super-useful in its own right. If you don’t know unix and start programming, some things will forever remain hazy and mysterious, even if you can’t put your finger on exactly what they are. If you already know a lot about computers, the point is moot; if you don’t, then by all means start your programming education by learning unix!