Thread: Why you like programming?

  1. #1
    Registered User Rennor's Avatar
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    Why you like programming?

    I never seen this question asked. People like different things and that makes us do things for work or hobby. Everything covered. This board is filled with people who have found that programming is very very interesting thing to do (Yeah, I guess it is this way).

    So I am asking you lot, how you find yourself programming and why? How does it satisfy you?

  2. #2
    Registered User VirtualAce's Avatar
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    I like self inflicted pain.

    The main thing that drives me to program is creativity. If I wasn't a hobbyist programmer I'd probably be a writer or maybe even a painter.

    I'd say I'm an artist and a storyteller but I use digital media to present my art rather than paint and books.

  3. #3
    The superhaterodyne twomers's Avatar
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    I had two programming courses in University, both in first and second year. In first year I hated programming, but just before Christmas during second year I got interested in it, and decided to look into stuff that wasn't taut to us ... and that's pretty much it to be honest. I don't think my year's gonna be doing any more programming classes before we finish, so now it's also "self inflicted pain", but not to a very high pain degree

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    Mayor of Awesometown Govtcheez's Avatar
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    I like programming because I was able to use my programming skills to get me into a non-programming job that pays well and that I enjoy.

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    Reverse Engineer maxorator's Avatar
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    My story started, when I was around 8. I wanted to make a web page. But WYSIWYG editors were boring and stupid. So about 2 years passed. Then I thought, there must be a better way to make web pages. I learned HTML. That seemed very interesting to me then. I was hungry for knowledge. I also learned Javascript and CSS. Then, when I was about 11, I learned PHP and MYSQL. When I got 12, I was interested of programming. I downloaded Dev-C++ and started learning C++. In last two years (now I'm 14) I've been learning C++ and other things about computers (how floats are built, PE executable construction byte by byte etc). I try to learn as much as I can about everything. I can't just "not read" information about programming and that kind of things. I am still hungry for knowledge and I can't stop learning, because I am too interested in these things. I've always liked low-level stuff, because that's closer to "the truth". That's why I stick to C++ with Win32 API and try to learn assembly language.

  6. #6
    Supermassive black hole cboard_member's Avatar
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    I'd have to say it's a creativity thing plus the fact that I find the nitty-gritty of how computers work really interesting. If I wasn't introduced to programming I'd probably be a hobbyist electrician / engineer of some sort - come to think of it I'd probably have ended up programming anyway.
    Good class architecture is not like a Swiss Army Knife; it should be more like a well balanced throwing knife.

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  7. #7
    (?<!re)tired Mario F.'s Avatar
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    I have no idea why I like programming.

    . I like problem solving, but I could easily do that by constantly getting in trouble and trying to get out of it.

    . I like creative processes, but so do museum robbers.

    . I like methodic thinking, but I'm not that good at it.

    . I like computers, so why didn't I choose to build them instead?

    . I like to understand how things work, but when my TV breaks I buy a new one.

    . I like recognition, but not always I'm a good friend.

    . I like maths, but still can't figure out why I can't divide by zero.

    . I like programming, but I bet my life would be more exciting if i didn't.
    Originally Posted by brewbuck:
    Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.

  8. #8
    The Right Honourable psychopath's Avatar
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    >>I like programming, but I bet my life would be more exciting if i didn't.

    Same here. *sighs*
    M.Eng Computer Engineering Candidate
    B.Sc Computer Science

    Robotics and graphics enthusiast.

  9. #9
    The superhaterodyne twomers's Avatar
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    >> but still can't figure out why I can't divide by zero.

    (not sure if you were being sarcastic, so I'll go on the assumption that you weren't)

    It's basically because if you do that the result is infinity, which is not a real number, just an abstraction meaning that whatever number (even over three and a half squillion), you think of, someone else can think of a bigger one (four and a quarter million squillion). It's undefined behavior. Check out Salem's sig.

    On the other hand, going on the possibility that you were being sarcastic (Now that I think of it, when have you ever been sarcastic?), I would have to disagree with you about the exciting non-programming lifestyle which you think may result without having programmed. MURK man! Can't we just accept that we like abstract things? I like Etymology, but I have NO idea why.

  10. #10
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    I started off wanting to learn how people did those nifty things like hit counters on their websites, and somehow ventured into C++. What kept me going was the joy of seeing my programs actually work as intended, at least from time to time :P

    Same here. *sighs*
    Because you would be a psychopath instead?
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  11. #11
    Reverse Engineer maxorator's Avatar
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    I can't imagine what my life would be without programming...

  12. #12
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    I read somewhere that programming is like Lego, only your pieces dont run out.
    I like Lego : >

  13. #13
    Reverse Engineer maxorator's Avatar
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    Quite right, I think... you need ideas... you need logic... you need time...

  14. #14
    Mayor of Awesometown Govtcheez's Avatar
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    You need one of those 2x1 blocks

  15. #15
    (?<!re)tired Mario F.'s Avatar
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    > I can't imagine what my life would be without programming...

    You are 14, right?

    Personally I find that statement very disturbing at your age max. Don't take me wrong.
    But really... just put a lot of consideration into that. There a lot more to life than programming for pete's sake. Especially at you age!
    Heck, I'm 36 (which is considered young by many standards) and I want out!

    It's not the paradise you are probably lead to believe unless that passion sticks to you when the real problems start to occur. Like being forced to program when you don't want to, program things you don't want to, program against the clock when all you want is to get some sleep, program against a background of shouting from your boss, program with other people that don't necessarily feel the same way about it as you... etc...

    Then, if you come out of that unharmed every single day from Monday to Friday and still feel invigorated enough... then you will be one of the very few in the world who really can say "I don't know what my life would be without programming".
    Originally Posted by brewbuck:
    Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.

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