This is Why You Spent All that Time Learning to Program

Or you could start your own news channel on YouTube, and advertise it locally (in the local paper / subway / with locally-targeted Internet ads).<p>It's not computer programming that's special. It's computers themselves -- they have greatly lowered the barrier to entry for <i>many</i> creative professions. (For which we must thank programmers, of course!)

True, mostly anyways, but nobody talks about the other side of the learn-how-to-program hill.<p>You can create anything. Anything. Want to write a database? Go ahead. Hack on a GPU, nothing is stopping you. Make a recommendation engine? Why not? A game? Trivial (to get started at least).<p>Once you know how to program (not just one language, some high level stuff and some systems stuff) and know the surrounding tools and communities around the languages sometimes you'll feel like all you want to work on is stuff that pushes your knowledge, even if you could <i>easily</i> make a Exec type of app that would make you more money than programming something that is new to you, like an operating system.<p>It is a strange situation.

The analogy doesn't hold up.<p>The equivalent of making fundamental changes to a TV station in IT is to use your CS degree to make Facebook allow customised homepages in the style of MySpace. The fact that you can make a Facebook/MySpace clone at home in a few night compares to buying a video camera and recording your version of the news in your kitchen.<p>Now, I agree with the conclusion: Computer programming is the great equalizer: for the low cost of a computer, a few books and an Internet connection, anyone can build the next Facebook. There are literally no further barriers.

I think the author is missing the point. The local TV station format is what it is because this is what SELLS. Our programs are subject to the same market forces. We are only free to design the internals.

Well, it's right in fact that they are some rules that must be followed in order to build a good app. The bad thing is that these rules are hidden and change constantly. Another thing is that internet seems borderless but it is not - there are different habbits in different countries that are to be taken into account (although there are some apps that fit all but it is again due to following some rules).<p>So, I guess, building a good app is even harder then creating good TV-channel in some way (if you have enough money for the second, of course :)).<p>But that makes the whole thing much more interesting. You know we have a song called "Men in front of the monitors". I won't translate it, here's Google Translate variant:<p>"Those eyes could stare into the distance and look for land on the horizon. They could tear from the cold mountain tops or from the dry dust storm in the desert. Those eyes would go blind from the white snows of the polar dim light or navigation devices. They could, without blinking, pierce the night and see the stars ... But those eyes looking at the screen The man's eyes at the monitor<p>These hands could compress the steering wheel. These palms can be abraded on the ropes and sails and ropes the front. The fingers could be cut by the rocks and ice. They could turn black from the fires and winds, they can become hard and dry, but relate to women's leather soft and strong, taken by the waist or shoulders as take forever .. But they quickly ran her fingers over the keys .. men are in the monitor<p>These individuals could be weather-beaten all the winds, they could become peaky and whip wrinkles: fine wrinkles around the eyes, deep forehead. These cheeks can become hollow and unshaven, the lips can become dry and cracked from thirst in the blood, but to be able to kiss her so, so touched his lips to your favorite ... And those lips are stained from coffee, tea and cigarettes these persons in the pale blue light of the screens ... Men have monitors<p>Those eyes are tired of sleepless ... These fingers are running over the keys ... But it seems that the fingers grip the steering wheel, paddle, or compress or squeeze the shoulders of wonderful ... Men have monitors"<p>Well, the whole point is that nowadays all discoveries are made near the monitors as they were made in faraway seas and countries. (although song is not exactly about it - it's just my thoughts about it)

Actually, developing web applications isn't much different. you still need to obey the rules and follow best practices (especially UX-wise), otherwise customers will go to another provider. So by saying you have a <i>huge</i> freedom, you are just lying to yourself. Because you don't. Unless you're making stuff for yourself alone.

Amazing how much it means what time of day you post a story.<p><a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3791444" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3791444</a>

I spent all that time learning to program because I loved that it let me make things all on my own. I got to play as much as I liked. I remember first learning c++ (after visual basic), every new chapter gave me an awesome new power, Vectors ! Pointers, Classes ^_^<p>I knew I was in deep when in college I started bringing my c++ book to drama rehearsals. . .

Feel good story but analogy doesn't hold up. Try changing the way things are done in any dev group the size of a local TV station. Very hard. People will be people no matter what they do for a living. Coding your own app solo in a new way is the equivalent of making your own news and uploading to YouTube.

If you consider the conclusion of this post, it means that indie game developers that create a 1-hitter over 10 years of hard labor to finally end up being acquired and rich is a waste of time.<p>And I'm fine with that conclusion

I love his whole philosophy on programming. If you read this other posts there's a definite trend of him emphasizing getting things done over getting things perfect. This is one piece of that overall philosophy.<p>I just spent a few weeks studying OOP and the best practices of implementing the MVC pattern and I'm not one iota closer to a working prototype. I can easily knock out a quick prototype of my idea but I'm imprisoned by exactly what the author talks about. I'm trying to do things as others always have instead of just doing it. No one is looking over my shoulder waiting to give me a grade so why not just fucking knock it out and fix things later.<p>I like this guy. His other posts are all real gems too and fit into this pattern.