I read this article few days ago. The main theme of the article is about what the life of a software engineer is like. It is quite interesting to me that the author considers programming as producing art, just like the poets creating poems. For a very long time, I believe coding is some sort of elegant work, but I never really think of it in terms of art. To me, arts are something like the Mona Lisa, or the Ninth Symphony.
As an ICS senior, from time to time, I would imagine myself becoming a normal programmer after graduation. Then all I do is coding, coding, and coding. 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. It seems like an endless cycle to me, and honestly speaking, I feel that absolutely boring. What if one day, our technology is so advanced, such that we invented some programming machines that can produce quality code as human? If that ever comes true, what is the value left inside a programmer like me?
After reading the article, I think it might be about the time for me to change my perspective of programming. Computer language is like a brush: if it’s in the hand of some incompetent persons, it is no more than a brush; however, if it’s in the hand of an artist, it can become the key to unlock the artistic palace. It is the person that determines what the product can be, either junk or treasure. The creativity of human can never be replaced by the machine. Therefore, there are always some values left inside me, and there would be always something that only I can do.
Someday, if people ever ask what I do, hopefully I can proudly tell them: I write programs, like the poets write poems.
And no, I don’t fix computers.
Monday, February 11, 2008
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3 comments:
great post. there is one primary difference between the two programmers that you wrote about. the first "boring programmer" just does what he/she is told. the second "poet programmer" looks at the job with a creative mindset.
i think the key thing is to be the one that generates the ideas. if you generate the new ideas, you'll never be bored.
also, keep in mind that there are certain companies that are "better" than others for new ideas. places like google thrives on new ideas. but, places like a bank sticks with the what works.
so, to conclude. being a programming poet is awesome, as long as you have the artistic freedom.
(by the way, i remember reading another thing on programming and poetry i think this is it: http://java.sun.com/features/2002/11/gabriel_qa.html)
I think I read that before because I remember the guy's face. :) Anyways, reading that again gives me a different impression now.
i'd have to agree with aaron -- what kind of programmer you are is heavily dependant on what kind of employer you have... to an extent.
i work for very large, heavily process-driven organization, but i'm still encouraged to be creative -- fortunately. i think if my organization didn't allow that, i'd have to quit!!
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