Futaba _ Webs 🕸🕸🎃🕸🕸
FREE Vs PAID Learning Which is Better? 🕸🕸🎃🕸🕸
Today's article will be centralized on HOW to build your personal brand! This is crucial for today's job market since it's more along the lines of "It's not WHAT you know, but WHO you know". Today’s article is going to address whether FREE or PAID learning is better for those that are looking to break into Cyber Security, as well as WHEN one should HAVE to PAY for any particular resource should they need it. I’m also going to walk you through on how to approach FREE learning should you pursue this path, as it’s the one I’m on, and have stayed on for nearly 12 years now. It’s NOT an easy path, BUT, if you can get GOOD at it, then you’ll TRULY be able to learn on your own for FREE without anyone’s help!
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🕸 Synopsis 🕸
Today’s article is going to address whether FREE or PAID learning is better for those that are looking to break into Cyber Security, as well as WHEN one should HAVE to PAY for any particular resource should they need it. I’m also going to walk you through on how to approach FREE learning should you pursue this path, as it’s the one I’m on, and have stayed on for nearly 12 years now. It’s NOT an easy path, BUT, if you can get GOOD at it, then you’ll TRULY be able to learn on your own for FREE without anyone’s help! I’m also going to address WHEN you would have to PAY in order to learn so you know how to properly spend your money should you need to do so. As much as I LOVE FREE learning, there are MANY cases where reasonable pay walls exist. NOT EVERYTHING IS FREE in life. I’ve had to learn this the hard way!
I make PAID content, but at the same time, I also want to encourage FREE learning as much as possible so people can LEARN how to THINK on their own and stand on their own power! It’s the main reason I write articles like this and give out as much advice as I can as possible and why I do what I do to give back to the Cyber Security community.🕸 Article Topics 🕸
I'll be discussing the following topics in order: 🎃 What is FREE learning? 🎃 Should FREE learning exist? 🎃 How to Go About FREE Learning? 🎃 The DrawBacks of FREE Learning? 🎃 Mentorship is NOT FREE! 🎃 FREE Resource Redundancy 🎃 When Should You Have to Pay? You can click on any of the topics to simply check that one out if it interests you! NOTE: Articles are read from LEFT to RIGHT via 2 columns! Read the first column all the way down and then move to the next one!
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Here's a quick run down on all the main links that are in the article in case you want to check them out first. 🎃 LinkedIn Version
🎃 FREE Vs PAID Learning, Which is Better?
What is FREE learning? 🕸🕸🎃🕸🕸
FREE learning is just that, FREE! It requires ZERO money in order to learn. The only thing that IS required: is a computer, home internet, and the DISCIPLINE to learn on your OWN, emphasis on that last part! Technically you have to PAY in order to get these things, but I digress.
FREE learning is just another term for “Self-Taught”, which is common nowadays! A lot of people, when getting into Web Development was the new trend, were often commonly Self-Taught, myself included when I first started learning how to code. There were an ABUNDANCE of resources available online so it only made sense to teach yourself. Learning to code was no longer gatekeeped knowledge, so LITERALLY, ANYONE could learn how to code for FREE!
This is convenient for those that are unable to afford a FORMAL education from an institution with DIRECT guidance, where they can essentially learn all the SAME material on their own! This increases accessibility across the board!
HOWEVER, it did create one fatal drawback, which I’ll discuss later on over the course of this article.
Should FREE learning exist? 🕸🕸🎃🕸🕸
YES, it ABSOLUTELY should exist. Knowledge should be FREE! There’s a reason PUBLIC libraries exist! It’s also WHY the internet exists, so we can share said FREE information with each other, helping everyone in the long run!
Anyone should be able to pick up a book or a computer and have the ability to learn on their own and at their own pace! It’s a human right!
How to Go About FREE Learning? 🕸🕸🎃🕸🕸
The best way to go about it is to get into the habit of filtering through information.
In case you haven’t noticed this about me by now… I AM GOOD at filtering through what I NEED to know Vs what I DO NOT need to know.
A lot of people struggle with this, even experienced professionals, but if you can get GOOD at this, then you’ll progress rather quickly.
The DrawBacks of FREE Learning? 🕸🕸🎃🕸🕸
I’ve talked about the BENEFITS of FREE learning, but now let’s dive into the DRAWBACKS of it!
For starters…. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN! You only have access to what you can find in order to learn, which there is PLENTY of!
“But Futaba if that’s the case, then why is that a DRAWBACK?!?! There are PLENTY of FREE material online for me to learn from so I-”
OBJECTION!!!
I think you haven’t been paying CLOSE attention to when I’ve stated “ON YOUR OWN”!” That’s right…. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN, as in SOLO, NO HELP from ANYONE! No one’s holding your hand so you LITERALLY have to sit down and FIGURE IT OUT on your OWN!
THIS!!! is the BIGGEST drawback to FREE learning, ESPECIALLY, when it involves Cyber Security which is HUGE in and of itself!!!!!!
When I first started learning about Cyber Security on my OWN, I had NO IDEA what I was doing or where I was going. NO ONE pointed out ANYTHING as to where I needed to go career wise. I had to sit down and figure it out! Even with ALL the FREE resources out there I was still running around with my head chopped off not knowing what the hell I was doing for YEARS!!
WHY? Well, let me elaborate with this next point!
Mentorship is NOT FREE! 🕸🕸🎃🕸🕸
Although FREE learning should exist, it does NOT mean however that FREE guidance should exist. You can’t have your cake and eat it too!
The price you pay for FREE learning is NO FREE MENTORSHIP or guidance.
“BUT THAT’S NOT FAIR THE KNOWLEDGE SHOULD BE FREE!”
Here’s the thing…. IT IS FREE!!! It’s EVERYWHERE!!! HOWEVER, what is NOT FREE, is expecting FREE labor AKA mentoring/tutoring from people. You have to be mindful, mentoring IS A FORM OF LABOR, labor which is NOT FREE. There are people out there that give back to the community which is nice, but you’re NOT entitled to it!
This might rub A LOT of people the WRONG way, but ask yourself this question, would YOU do it for FREE?
When Should You Have to Pay? 🕸🕸🎃🕸🕸
It’s a no brainer on this one, but, like I’ve stated, when you’re looking for direct guidance from someone, OR, if you’re of course looking to acquire TOOLS/SOFTWARE to enhance your learning experience.
Also… as I’ve stated, there are MANY niche sources of knowledge, or QUALITY material, like from HackTheBox or TCM for example, where the only way to acquire it is through PAID methods. No one’s going to hand you what they purchased for FREE so don’t even think it works like that! I want their research content as well, but sadly, even I know in order for me to acquire it I would HAVE to pay for it.
Going back to the tools/software thing, yes, physical tools like the wifi-pineapple, AREN’T FREE. You have to PAY for them! Even things I’ve mentioned earlier: PC gear, internet, etc, all these things, in order for you to START learning for FREE, REQUIRE that you PAY for them FIRST!
Advanced IDS systems that you can use to build homelabs, oftentimes some of them are both hardware and software, which require you to PAY, hence most people can’t get hands-on experience with A LOT of this stuff unless they work for a company that has it.
If you enjoyed this post give it a thumbs up! I’ll be keeping track of whose reacting from now on as there is a “special” reason for it. Just know the more you support my content the more there is in stored!
- The Hacker Who Laughs 🕸🕸🎃🕸🕸
