Information sources practicing programmers use to acquire new concepts and the relation between prior programmer education and concept impact

In the field of data processing, the professional needs to keep abreast of new developments. For programmers and their supervisors, this involves learning about, evaluating, and subsequently using or rejecting new programming concepts. Whether one is charged with educating and training programmers or with hiring them, this need to keep abreast raises some interesting questions. This paper concerns itself with three such questions: 1. From what sources do programmers in the field learn about new concepts? 2. Is there a significant relationship between particular aspects of a programmer's background and his/her awareness of new programming concepts? 3. Is there a significant relationship between particular aspects of a programer's working environment and his awareness of new concepts?