I do not now why it have took me all this time to understand one simple thing: the only way to get better at writing software is to write software. Sounds ridicule, I know, but I just did not actually understand it until now.
I am a 28 mexican programmer that start programming something like 10 year ago, that is, when I got into what you could call College in Mexico, getting a Bachelor’s degree on Computer Systems.Yeah, that was my starting point in programming, and yeah, I also think I started pretty late. When I found out what programming really is, I was in love, I mean, I loved it, and still do, but I just do not why I never understood that, to be as good as I want to be, I need to write more and more software.
I think there are several causes for this lack of understanding:
- I have never thought much of myself. Like many (I would like to say most) of the programmers I know, I do not think I am really “good”. I know that I know a lot of stuff, but still, I just do not feel it, and it is not a false modesty or a case of “humbleness”, I just do not feel it. Even when I am one of the guys that other guys go to help them figure out a problem or design a new app.
- I have read a lot of stuff. Technical and non technical stuff, and I got from that I have to read a lot code, and be better at reading code, than writing, because, let’s face it: as developers we spend most of reading code, debugging, looking at specs or references from some APIs, and, lastly, we tight all that together with the magic strings of our language of choice.
- I wanted to know everything. I know that I can not simple know everything, that just plain impossible, but I wanted to give it a try. So read about programming languages, I read about new technologies, I read about protocols, theories, programming paradigms, everything and anything that I found remotely interesting. This gave a broad view of the Industry and the Science behind what we do, but as everyone that tries to do this (unless you are Leonardo Da Vinci or similar, you know, a VERY SMART MAN) I have become a jack of all trades and a master of none.
- I have always thought that my code does not worth shit. I have code apps that are in use in the industry and that gets the clients happy, I have always seen my code as worthless.
So, at this point, I sound depressed, and most probably I am, but I need to overcome that and start coding some goddamned code, leaving behind the fears..besides, what’s the worst thing it could happen?
Coding Whites 