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Thursday, July 3, 2014

In the shoes of a programmer.



            Programmers have the reputation of being weird. That's probably because we speak Java, C#, python and all those other “foreign” languages and the fact that coffee is our water. But beneath that surface, programmers are not that weird, we are actually normal people with a different standard of normal. If you are interested in programming, here's a list of attributes you must have or at least learn. 

Patience
           You will probably spend hours looking for that one bug. Sometimes a day, sometimes 3 days. Dont be alarmed, be patient and believe that that's how you learn. As a matter of fact, you will start coding before you figure out everything, so leave room for mistakes. They are bound to happen.

Problem solver:
As a programmer you will write code, that code won't always run the first time you run it. This could be caused by as many reasons as syntax, wrong logic, typos, or your computer could just be messing with your head. You are gonna have to figure out where the problem is, probably through sleep-less nights and frustrating days. That's how you earn the title of a problem solver.

Attention to detail:
Every little detail matters and sometimes its what makes all the difference. You could create an infinite loop just by typing i instead of j. A single bracket could mess up your entire day. In short you have to able to notice things. 

Seeing opportunity in problems.
Well, in this century its a trend to make businesses out of problems. Facebook was born out of a problem, and so was whatsapp, and android, and everything else that is made with code. Maybe you won't create all the stuff your head thinks of but the fact that you have ideas is a good symptom of a programmer.


If you have all the above symptoms then you are a full accredited programmer.  You don't need any certificate to prove that. After going through the list, I have realised we are not just weird, Programmers are actually smart.