iamacp.com – I Am A Computer Programmer
All about the daily work issues of a Java/J2EE Computer Programmer

Every so often I have a conversation with someone that inspires me to write  a article. This is just one such post. One of things I love about being a computer programmer is that each day is always something different. Every day I get to work on and solve new problems (never the same thing). Even when something doesn’t quite work out it never turns out to be for the same exact reason.

Now a old friend of mine told me how he overhead a conversation in the gas station about how he heard people say something like “same day same crap”. That’s not always the case. Most manual labor jobs are typically boring and the crap you deal with is the same. Most skilled labor is never the same day same crap. I have never a had a day where I worked with the same annoying issues.

As a programmer I can assure you that it’s always something different all the time. This is what makes being a computer programmer interesting.

Positivity defeats negativity. This is one of my favorite pieces of advice to anyone. Being a positive programmer and ignoring negative thoughts and comments that people make will benefit you.

Here’s a example of a typical experience that I’ve encounter more than one occasion:

• A Overheard Conversation: He’s stupid blah blah.
• Another Conversation: Someones complaining about me being positive.
• Yet Another Conversation: He’s Strange.

I’ve come to the conclusion that people will complain about anything for whatever reason they feel like. Maybe they are unhappy with there current position. Maybe they feel better about themselves when they put down a easy target (The strange guy, the single guy). They have personal issues that go beyond putting down a coworker.

I don’t have time at work to put down anyone. I’m a positive person and will always remain positive. Any time I have heard something negative I have thought many more positive thoughts. Truly one positive thought will defeat many more negative thoughts.

Becoming a better programming is something that all passionate programmers strive for including myself. In this article I will give  advice and techniques on how you can become the programmer you’ve dreamed of being.

Rules Of Becoming A Better Programmer

• Programming Is Not Just For Geniuses:  I don’t know how many times people assume I’m a genius or something when I’m a software engineer. I’m far from stupid but I’m not a genius. I just have spent many years in the industry and I know the quirks of what it’s like being a developer.

• Learn From Your Experiences: The only way to become a better programmer is to actually learn from your own experiences. I’ve had several jobs that I had learned positive experiences as well as negative experiences. If you can learn just a few things from each job you’re becoming a better developer regardless of what happens on the job.

• Technical Knowledge vs Business Knowledge: I don’t really think there’s a sure rule for understanding a job. Technical knowledge is very important but not a sure fire way of becoming a better programmer on the job. I once heard you can give a modest programmer good requirements and he can eventually complete a task.  Understanding the business well can easily compensate for lack of technical knowledge (although you should have some technical knowledge).

• Ways Of Learning: Learning can be as hard or easy as you make it. There are many ways of learning new technical materials.  Hands on experience, reading books and web sites, and watching videos are the best ways of learning new material. You don’t have to spend hours a day either. It just takes a constant persistent effort to keep learning. I usually spend the entire work day learning and maybe a few hours throughout the day keeping up to date (with  most of company time when I have free time).

• Read About Becoming A Better Programmer:  There are lots  of good articles on the Internet on how to become a better programmer. There are 2 books which I highly recommend including The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master, and 97 Things Every Programmer Should Know.

• Becoming A Better Programmer Is A Life Long Process: If you treat becoming a better programmer is a life long process you will always improve and get better. Making the assumption that you can just sit back and relax and get better does not apply to programming.

There are many ways to become a better programmer. Throughout this article I have discussed some of the ways which have allowed me to become a better programmer.