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I think I've always felt that way, but I only started realizing it in the last few years. For me the appeal of programming is the appeal of making, of bringing

I think I've always felt that way, but I only started realizing it in the last few years. For me the appeal of programming is the appeal of making, of bringing something into existance that reshapes the world around me. Without my work serving an end that resonates with me, it just feels hollow and like a chore. Sometimes I do enjoy working through into an intriguing programming task with no real purpose, but only in small doses. I couldn't spend all my time doing that, just like I enjoy candy but I need to have a real meal, too.

mbg721 5y ago
How much do you enjoy programming that's very deep and sophisticated, something only other experts could understand and replicate, versus a problem that's low-hanging fruit in a technical sense but that nobody thought to use programming to solve? I keep finding in my (not specifically programming) career that my moments of joy come more in being an enthusiastic amateur, in taking an automation task from nothing to something, rather than taking something complex and making it slightly more complex and slightly better.
- spiffytech 5y ago
  I feel the same way. I gravitate towards smaller projects, where I can have a significant impact quickly. It feels good to write code that gets something done, even if the task isn't complicated. Some problem domains are unsolvable without sophistication and expertise, but those often don't appeal to me. E.g., I wouldn't want to work on a database engine; a lot of the work goes into things that are aren't especially visible or into deliverables which I don't find interesting, and it tends to take a lot of work to improve small things. Some people really like that stuff. They may enjoy the challenge, or the personal growth, or the cleverness and reasoning. Myself, I enjoy making things happen through making stuff. I don't particularly care for puzzles, and making things more challenging hurts as often as it helps. I like working on things where I'm glad whatever I made now exists. Whether it required senior skills or junior isn't so important to me.

mbg721 5y ago

How much do you enjoy programming that's very deep and sophisticated, something only other experts could understand and replicate, versus a problem that's low-hanging fruit in a technical sense but that nobody thought to use programming to solve? I keep finding in my (not specifically programming) career that my moments of joy come more in being an enthusiastic amateur, in taking an automation task from nothing to something, rather than taking something complex and making it slightly more complex and slightly better.

spiffytech 5y ago
I feel the same way. I gravitate towards smaller projects, where I can have a significant impact quickly. It feels good to write code that gets something done, even if the task isn't complicated. Some problem domains are unsolvable without sophistication and expertise, but those often don't appeal to me. E.g., I wouldn't want to work on a database engine; a lot of the work goes into things that are aren't especially visible or into deliverables which I don't find interesting, and it tends to take a lot of work to improve small things. Some people really like that stuff. They may enjoy the challenge, or the personal growth, or the cleverness and reasoning. Myself, I enjoy making things happen through making stuff. I don't particularly care for puzzles, and making things more challenging hurts as often as it helps. I like working on things where I'm glad whatever I made now exists. Whether it required senior skills or junior isn't so important to me.