An upside of programming is that you can build something useful, by yourself. Some of my favorite programs are ones I wrote and use every day. They're not ama

An upside of programming is that you can build something useful, by yourself. Some of my favorite programs are ones I wrote and use every day. They're not amazing programs, but they do the job and they did not exist before I wrote them. I wonder if a home-created ballpoint pen, that worked well, wouldn't feel a bit more magical or romantic than the one you get for free at the hotel or bank. Having made, for example, my own paint, prior to use, I can attest that doing so feels "magical" in a similar way that programming does.