Yes coding is very hard. Glad to read this honest take on it!
Coding Is Hard
131–140 of 170 posts
Re: Coding Is Hard
#132> That's when I decided that I didn't need to go to college. I could just teach myself, for free, through all these online resources. > I went through all the tracks, from basic HTML (again) to JavaScript and even Ruby amd Python. And I was super proud of myself for doing just that. I then started this 2-day python crash course... > It's been 10 years since I first started learning how to code. And I still struggle w…
I still struggle after 15 years into programming, and I never published or finished anything because of "judgement anxiety". I waste days, weeks, months writing and rewriting code and then I decide to abandon it because "other developers are going to see how shitty of a developer I am and it'll jeopardize my reputation forever".
> other developers are going to see how shitty of a developer I am and it'll jeopardize my reputation forever
When I first started pushing out shit code on GitHub, I did it under a pseudonym and never tied it to my real identity. I think that really helps when first getting started since you know it’ll never affect you personally. After getting the hang of it, then perhaps tie that to yourself.
But to be honest, I doubt anyone cares much about your/my code nor would they bother judging it.
Of course, I’ve only been programming for ~5 years so I might be missing stuff.
Re: Coding Is Hard
#133coding is not hard. coming up with something worth coding is.
Re: Coding Is Hard
#134I've been coding since I was 15, am now an industry professional with 7 years software development experience. I just spent close to 15 hours debugging a really simple HTML/CSS issue. Why? Because I've never touched HTML/CSS before beyond some CS 101 labs. I'm sure an experienced web dev could have fixed it in 10 minutes. In my experience programming is less having it all in your head and more where and how to look t…
> In my experience programming is less having it all in your head and more where and how to look things up.
This! I was helping teach web dev to a first year student in uni: I realized that for some beginners, knowing what to search is just as important as being able to code.
Having been programming for 5 years (not much but I do dedicate pretty much all my time to it), I feel like the secret sauce is being able to type in the magic words and be able to get the result you’re looking for immediately as the top results. That and being able to read the source code of libraries & lower level code to understand behavior.
Re: Coding Is Hard
#135If coding is hard, then why is it constantly Devtember?
Could we make coding a little harder, please?
Re: Coding Is Hard
#136If you're still bad at coding after 10 years, give up. There are dozens of other things you might be great at, and every minute you're spent flogging the dead horse of becoming a coding genius, you're missing out on the opportunity to practice something you're really talented at.
Agreed. It took me years to accept that it's ok for coding to be my hobby and not my career.
Re: Coding Is Hard
#137If you're still bad at coding after 10 years, give up. There are dozens of other things you might be great at, and every minute you're spent flogging the dead horse of becoming a coding genius, you're missing out on the opportunity to practice something you're really talented at.
> There are dozens of other things you might be great at, and every minute you're spent flogging the dead horse of becoming a coding genius, you're missing out on the opportunity to practice something you're really talented at
Meh this is just cope. The things you are talented at may not be valuable, they may be outside of your reach, specifically if you’ve wasted enough time that your time for discovery is over. Flogging that dead horse probably pays the bills at least (unless you’re a total incompetent, in which case, yes find something ) and then some.
To be fair it sounds like OP found something else, but I’ve known people who never did or never could.
Re: Coding Is Hard
#138As a fellow aspiring developer, let me share a perspective that may be helpful.
I've solved a lot of algorithm challenges (LT and CW) over the years but I recently reflected on why they don't seem to be getting easier. What I realized is that while I know how to write code, my understanding of the supporting problem solving strategies is weak. I don't understand the why very well.
It's possible you suffer from a similar situation. You jumped straight to the code and skipped over the theory. You know how to use the tools, but have limited training in how to design the house.
Consider investing some of your time watching people like Abdul Bari (https://www.youtube.com/@abdul_bari). It will help you start to build a better understanding of the "why" of writing code.
Re: Coding Is Hard
#139Coding, at least quality coding, is for slow people that are patient enough to study in depth and to get it right eventually. And getting it right can still be incredibly hard.
ADHD is certainly not a good starting point.
P.S There are certainly a few geniuses who code quickly and well. But they are true exceptions, not enough to run an industry.
Re: Coding Is Hard
#140Coding, at least quality coding, is for slow people that are patient enough to study in depth and to get it right eventually. And getting it right can still be incredibly hard. ADHD is certainly not a good starting point. P.S There are certainly a few geniuses who code quickly and well. But they are true exceptions, not enough to run an industry.
This is a very insightful comment actually. I think you are right in many ways. My brain is wired to constantly try going fast. Everything I am able to do, is mostly from short bursts of dopamine rush. If that rush slows down or stops, such as when dealing with frustration of not being able to make something work immediately, my brain starts to shut down - and then it's like trying to swim across dry land. Curiosity and desire for problem solving helps sometimes, when I am in the right headspace, but other times it's simply absent. The work starts feeling dreadful. Need to figure out some ways around this.