Cofounded Host Collective (DiscountASP.net). Cofounded Player Axis (Social Gaming). Computer Scientist and Technology Evangelist with 20+ years of experience with JavaScript!
Cofounded Host Collective (DiscountASP.net). Cofounded Player Axis (Social Gaming). Computer Scientist and Technology Evangelist with 20+ years of experience with JavaScript!
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!
Been using UNIX since the late 80s; Linux since the mid-90s; virtualization since the early 2000s and spent the past few years working in the cloud space.
Location
Alexandria, VA, USA
Education
B.S. Psychology from Pennsylvania State University
When I was going to Penn State, you could elect to go into "Division of Undergraduate Studies" ...which all the declared-majors referred to as "Dumb, Undecided Students". Dunno if you could actually graduate via DUS, but you could spend a significant portion of your academic career in that category.
I've been a professional C, Perl, PHP and Python developer.
I'm an ex-sysadmin from the late 20th century.
These days I do more Javascript and CSS and whatnot, and promote UX and accessibility.
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.
Been using UNIX since the late 80s; Linux since the mid-90s; virtualization since the early 2000s and spent the past few years working in the cloud space.
Location
Alexandria, VA, USA
Education
B.S. Psychology from Pennsylvania State University
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).
Been using UNIX since the late 80s; Linux since the mid-90s; virtualization since the early 2000s and spent the past few years working in the cloud space.
Location
Alexandria, VA, USA
Education
B.S. Psychology from Pennsylvania State University
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.
wow, your story is similar to mine.
I was introduced to computers when I was 7 been programming since I was 13, I'd say Programming Swallowed me for good reasons. Haha :)
Awesome. It's nice to meet a fellow addict :)
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!
When I was going to Penn State, you could elect to go into "Division of Undergraduate Studies" ...which all the declared-majors referred to as "Dumb, Undecided Students". Dunno if you could actually graduate via DUS, but you could spend a significant portion of your academic career in that category.
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.
cheat atoptimize 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).
sure thing
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 :(
Holiday time: where the first day of coming home is taking care of a year's worth of tech-support.
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.