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How To Become A Better Programmer By Not Programming

codinghorror.com

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Re: How To Become A Better Programmer By Not Programming

#11

Post by rickmb »

This article just confirms my notion that in the debate about "what makes a great programmer" there is a fundamental disconnect between the concepts of being "a programmer" and being "a maker of software".

Making software consists of way more than just programming, and in that respect I agree with Atwood. However, that ignores two other things I consider to be proven truths:

1. You don't have to be a great programmer to make great software. Some of the best products are build from horrible code, not just by people who deliberately rushed things, but by people who simply didn't know any better.

2. You can definitely become a better programmer by simply practicing the craft a lot, even after many years. It doesn't however make you a better "maker of software", just a better coder.

Re: How To Become A Better Programmer By Not Programming

#12

Post by silverbax88 »

St-Clock wrote: post #10

"I agree with Bill. From what I've seen, there's just no crossing the skill chasm as a software developer. You've either got it, or you don't. No amount of putting your nose to the grindstone will change that." This is a very condescending look on humanity and I did not know that Jeff had said such things. To anyone thinking the same, let me introduce you to the concept of deliberate practice (how to really improve a…

When I was first starting as a programmer, I would have agreed with you. But over the years I've learned that it is 100% accurate that some people can program while others simply cannot.

But it's not a matter of stupid/smart. It's actually the same reason why Paul Graham's 'Hackers and Painters' analogy is so apt. The reality is that some people can think in abstract terms, while others cannot.

Someone who can think in abstract terms can be a graphic artist or a programmer. Consider that even in mathematics, the most concrete things are numbers, which are completely abstract. If you understand that, then guess what? You can think in abstract terms.

Re: How To Become A Better Programmer By Not Programming

#13

Post by philjr »

I make the distinction between "Programming" and "Development" in my own head. In fact, I try to avoid using the phase programming, I call it coding. i.e. putting the code on the screen with a keyboard.

I see Jeff talking more about "development" here - coders get better at coding by writing and reading more code. But there's no point being good at putting code on the screen if it doesn't do the thing your end users need to do.

Re: How To Become A Better Programmer By Not Programming

#15

Post by gaius »

rickmb wrote: post #11

This article just confirms my notion that in the debate about "what makes a great programmer" there is a fundamental disconnect between the concepts of being "a programmer" and being "a maker of software". Making software consists of way more than just programming, and in that respect I agree with Atwood. However, that ignores two other things I consider to be proven truths: 1. You don't have to be a great programmer…

It's the difference between a musician and a composer. They overlap often and both are absolutely essential to the performance. But practicing one doesn't necessarily carry over to the other.

Re: How To Become A Better Programmer By Not Programming

#16

Post by edw519 »

From what I've seen, there's just no crossing the skill chasm as a software developer. You've either got it, or you don't. No amount of putting your nose to the grindstone will change that.

What a scary thought. Good thing it's not true.

One of the many reasons I became a programmer was that the sky was the limit. Still is. Want to learn something new? Learn it. Want to build something cool? Build it. The only real limitations are your belief that you can do it and your willingness to perservere until you do.

We are not like basketball players or musicians or chess masters where only the extremely gifted (who also work hard) can rise to the top of their craft. With few exceptions, we all can.

I didn't always think this way. I had a college math professor who once said, "Many of my students are simply not suited for the sciences." And I was stupid enough to believe him! In retrospect, his comment said more about his weakness as a teacher than anything about his students.

How do I know this? Because I learned the hard way. When working with my first mentor, I was always too quick to blame someone else for their limitations slowing progress. Until he said, "So teach them!" He believed that almost anyone can learn and get good at almost anything. This seemed counterintuitive but after a while, I was able to adopt this belief system, and it has made all the difference.

There are many reasons why so many programmers suck, but "not being able to cross the chasm" isn't one of them. Just a few of the real reasons:

  - They never learned right in the first place.
  - They never built anything of real substance.
  - They were a tiny cog in a machine and never saw the big picture.
  - They got pigeon-holed into a small area for a long time.
  - Other things in their life took over.
  - They had shitty teachers.
  - They had to build on top of pre-existing shit and couldn't do it right.
  - They were stuck in environments where excellence never mattered.
  - They went into management too soon.
  - They got trapped into old technologies and methodologies.
  - They made too much money to make a career u-turn.
  - They just didn't care enough.
  -
My programming has always gotten better every year. Sometimes I read my old code and can't believe I wrote it. And I still have tons of room for improvement.

I'm firmly convinced that almost any of us can get better, much better. And even become "elite", whatever that means. Please don't listen to anyone else who tells you otherwise.

Re: How To Become A Better Programmer By Not Programming

#18

Post by Chirono »

cageface wrote: post #7
szany wrote: post #2

"When, in the late sixties, it became abundantly clear that we did not know how to program well enough, people concerned with Programming Methodology tried to figure out what a competent programmer's education should encompass. As a result of that effort programming emerged as a tough engineering discipline with a strong mathematical flavour. This conclusion has never been refuted, many, however, have refused to draw…

Some of the most productive programmers I've known toss code together in a horrifying slapdash fashion but somehow get great things done. And sometimes people with far more precise and mathematical minds just get mired in their beautiful architectures. The common trait I've seen in all exceptional programmers is an ability to keep a tremendous number of details in memory at one time. Most real world code is not lambd…

  The common trait I've seen in all exceptional programmers is an ability to 
  keep a tremendous number of details in memory at one time
Would you care to elaborate on this? I'm a programmer with 'precise and mathematical mind' and I'd say that my one big weakness is exactly that: I struggle to large numbers of disconnected facts in my head at one time.

Re: How To Become A Better Programmer By Not Programming

#19

Post by St-Clock »

silverbax88 wrote: post #12
St-Clock wrote: post #10

"I agree with Bill. From what I've seen, there's just no crossing the skill chasm as a software developer. You've either got it, or you don't. No amount of putting your nose to the grindstone will change that." This is a very condescending look on humanity and I did not know that Jeff had said such things. To anyone thinking the same, let me introduce you to the concept of deliberate practice (how to really improve a…

When I was first starting as a programmer, I would have agreed with you. But over the years I've learned that it is 100% accurate that some people can program while others simply cannot. But it's not a matter of stupid/smart. It's actually the same reason why Paul Graham's 'Hackers and Painters' analogy is so apt. The reality is that some people can think in abstract terms, while others cannot. Someone who can think…

I completely agree with you that some people, right now, cannot think in abstract terms. My point though, is that they could learn it through deliberate practice, unless they have a severe medical condition that affect the way they think.

Maybe they don't know they can learn it (possibly because others have told them that they would never get it), maybe they try hard but fail to do deliberate practice (which is different than programming every day), maybe they aren't interested and still want to have a programming job (that's a problem and they should be redirected to a more appropriate position).

Another book I really like to recommend for people who hate maths or don't understand them is Innumeracy by John Allen Paulos. It really helps you get a more positive view on maths. The sequel, Beyond Numeracy, is less groundbreaking though.

Re: How To Become A Better Programmer By Not Programming

#20

Post by mattgreenrocks »

wyclif wrote: post #3

You can only complement and enhance your existing programming skills by branching out. A big part of that branching out in my opinion is expanding vistas in areas unrelated to engineering, like reading good literature, creating or appreciating art, and travel.

I've wondered if engineering/CS undergrads should be forced to take a Design 101 class to learn:

  * design is everywhere
  * having a sense of taste is vital to anyone who makes things
  * end users are severely affected by every design decision you make
I run into too many engineers that try to disregard the subjective aspects of development (architecture/UX/etc) because they believe the only worthwhile things are the logical ones.
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