

Top seven reasons "Why I love to write code" - edw519
http://wunki.org/weblog/2008/may/28/top-seven-reasons-why-i-love-write-code/

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henning
See also, e.g., <http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ProgrammingIsFun> and for
counterpoint, <http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ProgrammingIsNotFun>

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natrius
Spot the HTML syntax error/typo in the header image.

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swombat
"7: Being a niche

Not many of the people I know, know how to program or let alone setup their
computer. If they see you work with the computer, they are awed (and think
you're a geek). It's the same kind of 'aw' as when I see a physicist work on
or with a formula. For me it's total incomprehensible, for him it's easy as
pie. Because many people are still mystified by computers, you are the one
they call when something goes wrong. Repairing a computer per week means that
once a week I don't have to bye a meal. It also means that I can be of
positive value for my sisters. "

WTF?

I'd count that as a reason _NOT_ to be a programmer!

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signa11
alan-j-perlis in his intro to sicp (<http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/full-
text/book/book-Z-H-3.html>) pretty much sums up the reason for me.

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ExplodingBob
_1: I am the creator of worlds._

I get the sentiment but his explanation sounds like he gets hot over business
logic. Meh, who am I to judge if he does ;)

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hhm
#1 is my big reason for writing code. I love the feeling of abstract world
creation.

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bockris
Agreed. When I was in high school I wrote all the normal programs for the
Apple ][ and it was fun. LoRes/HiRes graphics, toy calculations like interest,
bubble sorts, etc. Then our math teacher offered extra credit if we solved
some puzzles. One was the "100 Lockers" puzzle.
<http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/56747.html> I immediately saw that I
could write a program to solve it and so I did. Afterwards I was struck by how
I could simulate physical processes in the computer. It was a real eyeopener
for me because I had always been given assignments before and this was the
first time I had applied programming to a problem that I had come across
myself. I was feeling pretty smug that I would be the only person to solve
this puzzle. (It was a very small class in a small school and not very many
people were even attempting the puzzles.) When the results were posted later
in the week, I noticed that someone else had solved it also but his solution
didn't have a printout attached. I couldn't see how he could have solved it by
hand by simulating the opening and shutting like I did in my program so I
asked him how he did it. "Easy" he said. "I just did the problem for 10
lockers and I saw the pattern of square numbers and added on the missing
numbers." That's when I learned that while brute force works and it sometimes
the best approach, it doesn't have to be the only approach. Almost everything
I have done in programming since is somehow related to this incident. World
building indeed.

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edw519
8\. The moment of birth, the first time _ever_ that something has existed.
When all your hard work _works_. Sure, other fields have moments of clarity,
but there's just something so _binary_ about a program running the first time.
Moments that I live for.

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andrewbadera
I code for the chicks, man. Duh.

