re: Why Do You Code?

Rory doesn’t shy away from asking the hard questions, and this time it is a real brain twister – “Why do you code?”

Well, why do I code?  I’ve thought about for a long time (way before Rory asked), and when I distilled it to the most basic level, I came up with one reason, it makes me happy.  It could be because that I like solving puzzles, or that coding attracts other people that think like I do, or that I like change, or that I’m focused on the future.  But, essentially I code because it makes me happy.

Now, why did I decide to go by the name Don XML?  Well way back in 1999, while I was still coding in VB 6, I was introduced to XML, and after struggling for a couple months to grasp the essence of it, all of a sudden it clicked, and it was like I was a born-again coder, I saw all my development projects in terms of XML.  It got so bad that whenever we had architectural meetings, I would bring up XML as a solution to the problem, and the others sort of gave me the nickname.  Eventually I learned to temper my use of XML to places that it really made sense, but the nickname stuck.  Since at that time the internet was really the only place to go to get up to date info on XML, and the discussion groups like VBXML.com were the place to be, I started to hang out there.  I also new about the merits of name recognition, and with years of experience with people slaughtering the Hungarian spelling of my Slovak last name, I knew that I’d need use something else to distinguish myself from all the other Dons.  I toyed with the idea of creating a last name that phonetically sounded like XML (aka Exemelle), but don’t go that route, and just choose the nickname.

Now to hand it off to you: Why do you code?

DonXML

3 Comments

  • The challenge of solving the problem using my mind and imagination, that is why I code. And as you say it does make me happy.



    Just the thought of hammering at the keys and coming up with, to me, the the next latest and greatest thing puts a smile on my face.



    Ever just have that overwhelming desire just to create?





  • I was not good enough to play soccer for my country and TVR already have all the test drivers they need - so I had to settle for my third choice dream job.









  • I started with DNA, we’re just trying to find the essence.

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