View http://nathan.ca/2012/12/why-im-a-programmer/
http://nathan.ca/2012/12/why-im-a-programmer/
This piece is great to read so early in the new year. It echoes many of the thoughts I’ve had but never consciously thought I should write them down. One thing in particular that really resonated with me was this quote:
What intrigues me most about programming is the ability to work collaboratively, yet achieve things individually. This is fun because individually you can punch out a simple web app in a weekend given a well-defined idea of what you’re building, and then grow it to the next level as a team. Perhaps more importantly, though, the ability to work individually allows you to practice and iterate at a higher level than professions that revolve around collaboration.
I think that’s fascinating. I had never viewed programming as the best of both worlds being simultaneously a team and individual sport/game, depending how you treat it. Programming can scratch both of those itches we all have, and likely at the same time.
The other idea I really liked from the article was that the author felt like he’s actually had an impact on the world. I really like that a lot. It’s a big reason I’m a fan of open source software and do what I can to contribute back to it. My project of choice is WordPress and to think that while it’s huge in my world, there are countless other projects having an equal impact on their industry without my even knowing it.