I thought I'd start a thread which is a bit different from the usual Q&A that goes on in Tilted Programming - although i do enjoy reading the Q's and A's.
Firstly, my
apologies for my usual rambling.
I don't regard myself as a programmer as such since it is not my profession and i really haven't had a great deal of real-world experience of it but I have to admit that one of the things that keeps me happy in life is to write code and solve problems by writing computer programs. I am what a lot of people would call
a geek.
Now, I don't mind being called a geek because I know that, generally, programmers are a misunderstood and alienated group of people within society. I think that this is because we do something that the average Joe/Joanne doesn't understand and has very little interest in.
The fact that i prefer to write code to get my buzz rather than play computer games seems like an odd and screwy concept at first glance but looking into it further we see that writing programs is a creative art and a form of expression. When you have finished writing a program and you are satisfied enough to take the lower case b from the compiled executable's filename, you can sit back and say to people, "Here, i created this, i hope you enjoy using it." Whereas the gamer would sit back and, although having a sense of achievement from getting to the next level or beating the previous high score, they would have very little to show for it.
This isn't a jab at gamers - in fact i used to be one - but I think it's an interesting comparison between those who enjoy creating and those who enjoy participating, destructing, using or even, in the case of bands and movie stars, following.
I mentioned getting a buzz from programming. This might seem an odd idea to those who have never tried it but those of you who know what it feels like to solve a complicated programming problem on your own you probably know what it feels like also. To set your mind on a hard problem, and then, with minutes, hours, maybe days of hard work, that initial buzz hits - the "Aha!" moment - when you understand exactly how to solve the problem. Then the code flows from your fingertips like a fine vintage brandy from its crystal decanter, you have no perception of time or reality and neither hunger or thirst can pry you from your keyboard. At last, as the sun peers above the horizon, the warm rush of sweet contentment massages your mouth into a smile and the final semicolon or right-brace falls into place. Your masterpiece is complete. This is your solution. This is your next level and high score. This is your victory.
For those of you who enjoy programming, I hope you feel the same way as I do about this subject and for those who are non-programmers, i hope this has given you some serious insight into why us geeks enjoy being geeks. Thanks for your time
