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How to be a Programmer: A Short, Comprehensive, and Personal Summary (2002)

samizdat.mines.edu

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Re: How to be a Programmer: A Short, Comprehensive, and Personal Summary (2002)

#2

Post by saddino »

Here's a shorter version: Are you so inspired by a software product or service that you are driving yourself mad thinking about how it was created? Great, do whatever you can to write your own version. Keep at it. Seriously, keep at it. Are you so obsessed with figuring this out that you are unaware that hours are passing by while you work? Awesome. You have discovered a true passion. Now you don't need to read things titled "How to Be a Programmer" because you will drive yourself to become one innately.

For everyone else, go ahead and try to read things titled "How to Be a Programmer" but don't expect it to actually help you, you know, BECOME one.

Re: How to be a Programmer: A Short, Comprehensive, and Personal Summary (2002)

#3

Post by GuiA »

saddino wrote: post #2

Here's a shorter version: Are you so inspired by a software product or service that you are driving yourself mad thinking about how it was created? Great, do whatever you can to write your own version. Keep at it. Seriously, keep at it. Are you so obsessed with figuring this out that you are unaware that hours are passing by while you work? Awesome. You have discovered a true passion. Now you don't need to read thing…

Wow, hold your horses cow boy. Did you even read the article? It's about being a programmer in the real world; that is how to communicate effectively, know when to tell management that you think a certain decision was a mistake, how to approach project schedule estimation, and so on.

As a young hacker who's not sure yet where he belongs in the world of tech & science & engineering (worked freelance, worked in startups, worked in research as a grad student, worked in larger companies, and I still don't know what I want to spend my life as a hacker doing :-), I found it extremely useful and well written.

Re: How to be a Programmer: A Short, Comprehensive, and Personal Summary (2002)

#4

Post by yeukhon »

saddino wrote: post #2

Here's a shorter version: Are you so inspired by a software product or service that you are driving yourself mad thinking about how it was created? Great, do whatever you can to write your own version. Keep at it. Seriously, keep at it. Are you so obsessed with figuring this out that you are unaware that hours are passing by while you work? Awesome. You have discovered a true passion. Now you don't need to read thing…

+1. Your short version pretty much summarize what other 1000 people would say. And that's what I told people who came to my school's open house today: look around you and see what kind of things you wish you could control. You want to be able to get all the files with certain prefix? Figure out that linux/windows command.

The title "A Short, Comprehensive, and Personal Summary". This is not short. It's pretty verbose.

Re: How to be a Programmer: A Short, Comprehensive, and Personal Summary (2002)

#5

Post by drunkpotato »

What is wrong with us in this sick, perverted, twisted, dying and rotting industry? If you encounter these problems, start applying to a new position. Don't deal with management; don't "educate" them. Don't fix the organization you've tricked yourself into joining. Just polish your resume and leave. It seems like we're an industry that defines Stockholm Syndrome.

Re: How to be a Programmer: A Short, Comprehensive, and Personal Summary (2002)

#9

Post by ninetax »

drunkpotato wrote: post #5

What is wrong with us in this sick, perverted, twisted, dying and rotting industry? If you encounter these problems, start applying to a new position. Don't deal with management; don't "educate" them. Don't fix the organization you've tricked yourself into joining. Just polish your resume and leave. It seems like we're an industry that defines Stockholm Syndrome.

Wrong thread?

Re: How to be a Programmer: A Short, Comprehensive, and Personal Summary (2002)

#10

Post by [deleted] »

drunkpotato wrote: post #5

What is wrong with us in this sick, perverted, twisted, dying and rotting industry? If you encounter these problems, start applying to a new position. Don't deal with management; don't "educate" them. Don't fix the organization you've tricked yourself into joining. Just polish your resume and leave. It seems like we're an industry that defines Stockholm Syndrome.

[deleted]
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