Why did you choose to become a Programmer?

I didn't choose it. It chose me. I found computers when I was very young and loved programming back then.

Today after I get off of work, I program to relax. It's just something I have to do. I'm lucky that people will pay me to do it.

Honestly, coming out of high school, it dawned on me that it was time to choose a major. I straight up had no idea what I wanted to do with my life but had managed to get into a four-year college. I didn't want to go in as undeclared so I was literally scrolling through their list of majors from a drop-down menu. Computer Science was the only one that sounded interesting to me, so I went with it. After taking my first programming class, it was clear to me that I had made the right choice! Been coding ever since and now I get paid for it!

Honestly, I thought the idea was magical. I wanted to be a programmer before I really knew what a computer was, and I got books out of the library about it before I even got a zx81 as a kid.

I still think that it's magic when I can type words into this box over here and something happens on a different box over there.

Technically, programming has always been an adjunct-function for me. I'm soooooper lazy and offended by having to repeat the same task twice. So, if I see that I've done something more than once or it's obvious that I'll have to do it at least three times, I'll automate it.

Especially earlier in my computing life, I liked to play pranks. Knowing how to program was a great way to make friends' lives difficult. It was also a great way to circumvent restrictions put on resource-usage (earlier on, disk and other quotas were kind of a way of life - if you didn't want to be so-constrained, it helped to know how to "route around" the constraints ...which usually required programming skills).

The only "pure" programming I did was when I was going through my games & graphics phase.

• Some graphics tools only worked well if you knew how to write macros (which is a type of programming);
• Some of the early games I played (e.g., MUDs), worked much better if you had people contributing to the extension of the realms ...which required programming
• "Programming" used to be how you could most-effectively cheat at optimize your game-play.

Many of us will answer with 'it's our passion'. I agree that it is my passion but a developer positions generally have an excellent work life and environment. Air-conditioning, high-paying, the ability to work individually or group, in office or remote. Now compare that to a construction worker (no offense guys) who work in the blistering heat or freezing cold with intensive physical labor for typically lesser pay (not always).

Its not a bad life and the money is not bad compared to other industries.
U also get to be the 'tech person' for all your relatives/friends :(

It was offered to me at work, and I was interested. Fell completely in love with it now I want more.

To build great things with little effort. Definitely.