The Pragmatic Programmer: 20th Anniversary Edition (2023)

Post by sfpotter » Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 4:00 PM UTC

begueradj wrote: post #25

sfpotter wrote: post #7

Alternatively, consider being an idealistic programmer! - Fall in love with a single topic, regardless of how trendy. - Learn as much as you can about it. - Keep learning about it. - Learn about it some more. - Spend years of your life doing nothing but breathing and thinking about this one topic. - Let fads and fashion pass you by. - Don't settle for good enough. Try to build the best version possible. - Choose wher…

Over specializatoin is the enemy of adaptation.

Post by sfpotter » Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 4:09 PM UTC

FrustratedMonky wrote: post #52

sfpotter wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I'm describing is actually the exact opposite of being a hipster. From the dictionary, a "hipster" is "a person who is unusually aware of and interested in new and unconventional patterns (as in jazz or fashion)". And, for what it's worth, following my own advice (I wouldn't give it otherwise), I haven't had major problems finding work. I live a comfortable life: own a house, have a wife and a kid, with another…

I tend to agree with everything you said. Was just thinking of this " - Fall in love with a single topic, regardless of how trendy. " Sounded hipster.

Post by netdevphoenix » Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 4:25 PM UTC

jimbokun wrote: post #54

sfpotter wrote: post #7

Alternatively, consider being an idealistic programmer! - Fall in love with a single topic, regardless of how trendy. - Learn as much as you can about it. - Keep learning about it. - Learn about it some more. - Spend years of your life doing nothing but breathing and thinking about this one topic. - Let fads and fashion pass you by. - Don't settle for good enough. Try to build the best version possible. - Choose wher…

All comes down to whether or not you picked a topic that will be financially viable several years later.

Post by sfpotter » Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 4:57 PM UTC

jimbokun wrote: post #54

sfpotter wrote: post #7

Alternatively, consider being an idealistic programmer! - Fall in love with a single topic, regardless of how trendy. - Learn as much as you can about it. - Keep learning about it. - Learn about it some more. - Spend years of your life doing nothing but breathing and thinking about this one topic. - Let fads and fashion pass you by. - Don't settle for good enough. Try to build the best version possible. - Choose wher…

All comes down to whether or not you picked a topic that will be financially viable several years later.

Post by globular-toast » Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 5:24 PM UTC

tantalic wrote: post #49

1313ed01 wrote: post #32

When the first version came out, around the time I got my first job, it felt like everyone around me had read this book, and for a long time we were throwing around quotes from this book. Sadly after a few years it felt like the only thing that really stuck in the larger community was "Don't Repeat Yourself", which wasn't really something that at the time stood out as much more important than many of the other "rules…

Twenty years ago, I was strongly anti IDE and pro text editor. In the last ~10 years or so text editors have gained features previously only found in IDEs and IDEs have improved their performance and brought in features from text editors. I would argue the distinction between text editors and IDEs at this point is academic.