I'm a dull programmer and proud of it

“Heroism arises from incompetence: heroes are needed when things are organized poorly and people are not able to perform their duties.”
- Boris Strugatsky



Author - Dan Kim, Android Programmer in Basecamp.
Translation - Katya Shershneva.
Publication support is the Edison company, which develops a video surveillance software package in the operating room , and also designs software for sterilizing medical devices .
')
I have to confess something - I'm not a rock star of programming. And not a hacker. I do not own ninjutsu. No one ever called me a wizard.

Nevertheless, I am proud of the fact that I am a good, solid programmer. The one who works hard on his skill and enjoys it, even without fancy labels.

However, every week I see how they are looking for ninja programmers who, I believe, cut lines of code with incredible precision. I read about rock star techies and imagine that they write such beautiful features as the “Stairway to Heaven” solo. I hear people throwing the word “hacker” (and its associated hack, hackfest and hackathon), as if randomly breaking something into pieces or breaking into an unauthorized system is good.

And we should not forget about these amazing wizards who create something out of nothing with the help of their ... * magic *

Surely with such cool nicknames and implied mystical skills, it all sounds like these are the images that all programmers should follow to imitate.

But what if you, like me, do not match these labels?

If you don’t share the feelings of rock stars ninja hacker wizards, are you doing something wrong? Nah

Real role models (“boring”)

I admit: instead of selfish, risky, thrill-seeking assholes who can conjure magic solutions, I have much more restrained role models. A librarian, scientist, artist and carpenter is closer to me.

Compared with the rock star ninja hacker wizard, these nicknames sound a little boring. But you know what? There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Because when it comes to programming and creating serious products, I don’t want to lead the way of life of a rock star, ninja hacker wizard. I don't need attention or fame. I do not want to stay awake every night until four in the morning and fade. There are no magic spells that heal the afflictions of my code.

Instead, as a librarian, I love silence and order. When the code is well organized, it is easier to find different things in it and less likely to break something, avoiding heaps of noise and heartache.

As a scientist, I love analyzing problems, trying different approaches to solving them, and then sharing my conclusions. I want to understand how things work, and I want others to benefit from this understanding.

As an artist, sometimes I need to think outside the box, include creativity and look abstract. I want to accept imperfection.

And as a carpenter, I like to create things. Sometimes it means following a certain plan, and sometimes just working with what is.

I bet many of you thought the same way. You see these stupid terms that are so carelessly used - there is no point in them, but they are often used to describe attractive-looking vacancies. A part of you grins, wondering how the use of these words began. But a small part of you wonders why you can't be a rock star, ninja hacker wizard.

For those of you who are experiencing this, I will say - do not listen. Ignore it. If you see a vacancy with these words, run fast and far. Enjoy the fact that you are not a rock star-ninja-hacker-wizard. It is quite possible that you are already an excellent programmer who does an excellent job with his work, only without any unnecessary brilliance and glamor.

And whether you know it or not, everyone around you appreciates how simple cool guy you really are.

Since I'm not a rock star-ninja-hacker wizard, I (and our entire team) have worked hard to make the new Basecamp 3 and its companion on the Android application as cool as possible. Check it out.