Is a self-taught designer such a weirdo?

[dojo]

I have recently gotten a lot of questions about how I learnt web design. And people are shocked when I tell them I learnt all the stuff by myself, while doing this and reading a lot on other sites. Am I such a weirdo?

[Ant]

I think it's fairly common but becoming far less so. There are now many web design courses out there but when i started there wasn't any. So no, right now it's pretty normal but in a few years time you'll be really weird, wait, so will I

[Jimmy0]

I wouldn't say you were weird at all, plenty of people learn things online by themselves because that way they can go at there own pace and also learn what they want/need to know and miss out what they feel they don't need to know.

Another factor is that learning online is free for people, rather than paying to go to an actual class.

[JoshB]

If being considered 'weird' is what it takes to have such a successful network of sites as you have Dojo, then so be it

[Chaos]

Originally Posted by dojo

I have recently gotten a lot of questions about how I learnt web design. And people are shocked when I tell them I learnt all the stuff by myself, while doing this and reading a lot on other sites. Am I such a weirdo?

Absolutely. .
Now being a bit more serious: I have a bachelor degree in Ancient History and Latin Epigraphy and a master's degree in Classic Studies. Almost everyone I know considered me crazy and weird when I started programming. So what? I'm programming for more than 2 years now and I love it! And you know what.. I'm pretty good at it . So... F..T
I think such a mentality can only be found in the ex communist countries... and I think you know why.