Cycle of Life Code

[lil_bit]

Hi! DaniWeb has tons of intelligent people – woot woot! If they gave rewards for intelligence then, wow, - we might just have to go for broke!

But anyway, I surfed DaniWeb wide and far, long and deep, from uber smokin' article to article. A few questions and realizations came to mind. I have to admit that I am no Indian God of master programming, although, I think that would be nice.

One thing I noticed is many people are 'speaking in code' -which is super cool-, but there seems to be no bridge in the gap of communication for those aspiring on the root path.

Because we are super-duper intellectual, does this mean we bash' (lol) newbies as they are learning and assimilating information? Certainly not.

Remember, “We were all noobs once, and since code and technology is constantly changing, we will all be noobs forever.”

Is it not easier to create 'life code', then hack it until the spark of curiosity and seeking strikes an error code, and that life code dies? How would you feel if someone exstiguished your life code -or, the ones you loved?!?!? (Gack! - NO!)

There is no life code, or elite programmers, or technological social network without life code, or codes developing into archetypical bit stacks themselves without the 'breath code of life' giving fruition to their own original life spark, free to compile and execute into the electronic information clouds.

Code is a beautiful thing. When I see my family and friends and life around me, I see code that no computer could fully analyze or compute.

The Code of Life is the most beautiful and most important code of all codes.

If we are so elite, then, shouldn't we be able to guide others to enlightened understanding?

I am sure a few people would say 'no'. But then, what is the point of a technological social network (DaniWeb) if noobs get shot down?

Just by chance, I wanted to learn more about programming -and while surfing beautiful Indian artwork- and somehow DaniWeb materialized in a link as I peered into the oracle of my simple modded browser. And I was like, “oodles, DaniWeb!”

On my first day, I thought about contributing -and I did, and --- I got hacked when I made a mistake, and a vet user of DaniWeb hacked me! (Doh!). But, that is not the point -but to a degree, it is. (Thanks to triple virtual proxy dumb terminal for safety!! Blurgah!)

When you have ultimate power (which I feel programming is), with it comes ultimate responsibility.

Also, with so many PhD’s, and people with B.S. (lol), and Masters degrees, you would think they would be enlightened enough to 'TEACH' or guide noobs down the electronic bit-path(?).

As a musician, I thought about the same things. Of course I can program awesome tracks, but when I looked around and saw it was only me and my computer jamming out ------ I drew the same comparison to programming and the computer - “Sure, you can do something awesome, but if you have no one to share it with, what is the point?” Even with the best A.I., it will never substitute for human interaction. Really now, is your computer your best friend? (Seriously think about that.)

It takes no effort to sit behind a screen and hack others, but, what if you could build a better world supported by code, and help billions -no joke- in the process?

When I was reading the 'Tao of Programming' a big question hit me: “We are like compilers putting information together. Noobs need interpreters, so, even if we can make code sit and spin, why can't the most enlightened of us break it down in lay-mans (human) language.”

I had the fortunate opportunity to teach in one of my noobie programmers classes. The instructor was horribly mono-toned, typical super-geek that forgot they were human, with no ability to speak in 'human' because he decided he was 'no longer human', and was so smart that 'normal mortals need not apply to the heavenly abode of his God-like Masterful understanding of programming'. Then one day, he totally flopped. He just couldn't get the students to understand. Me being like the only person including five others understood, and being a master of analogy as I am (lmfao), I asked him if I could 'break it down in a way the students could understand'.

That day, I learned so much teaching others -with my own limited understanding. It isn't always about what you know -regardless of how elite it is. It is about whether others can understand it, computer included of course.

See, code is glorious, but understanding how to translate that into 'lay-language' is worth more than all the code in the world. I mean seriously, I love programming (still learning) but I do not know anyone who speaks fluent code, any more than knowing anyone who communicates in any language that is not totally human, you know.

Oh my, I can here the tongues of Uber Programming gods snicker. But really, if you are that bright, why can't you do it? What do you gain by bashing a noob? I think the bigger, more righteous programmer would seek to further their own understanding by enlightening the seeking noob. Really, it is easier to make a life-long programming friend, then hack a noob verbally, in text, or other-wise.

But really, to be a 'student' is one thing, the ability to 'learn how to teach others to understand is worth 1,000,000 master programmers, with Master or Doctorate degrees'. And, it takes the same effort to help someone to learn as it does to hack someone you have never met just because you can.

Big man little programming man -or woman complex? Plus, when you think about it, obviously you learned -or did you????? And, if you learned, then you should be masterful enough to guide the neophyte along the path. Teams of programmers do not come together to do awesome things without excellent leaders. For example: When I took a trip to a server farm for one of the biggest information companies in the world, the leader was indeed great -but the real kicker is that the leader was not a programmer.

For some reason, some programmers forget we are all 'human' -and will always be from the beginning of their life code, until their final 'run-time'. Such is the 'cycle of life code'.

[firstPerson]

Can you provide a tl;dr version for the lazy like me?

*tl;dr = too long, didn't read

[lil_bit]

Hi firstPerson! Sure:"Right mind, Right speech, Right purpose." So, be smart, be good, be nice = happy world = happy people. (That was easy!)<3

[lil_bit]

Thank you for at least replying! But, I must say to reply to something without reading is like learning to program without a purpose. Think positive!<3

[deceptikon]

Thank you for at least replying! But, I must say to reply to something without reading is like learning to program without a purpose. Think positive!<3

I carefully read your first post this morning but didn't reply. Does that count? ;)

[lil_bit]

Hi Deceptikon! You are Administrator (oooo hi-eee!), so, you read it, and that is what counts! Woot Woot!<3

[deceptikon]

Actually, I was sorely tempted to reply with cliffs of your post for people who didn't want to read all of it, but decided it would be taken negatively and chose not to do so.

[lil_bit]

Very insightful. So, with that bit of unspoken code -very wise you are- I will state that this is for 'philosophical entertainment reasons only'. But, I agree, people of tech nature may not interpret the humor invested here. But, you did, so, I will leave the bar set with your outstanding insights! Goo Deceptikon!!! UBER WOOT!!!

P.S. -sometimes humor is the best medicine. Why just program when you can smile too?!?

P.S. (In Addition) Honestly, I decided to write this after I saw many posts that the most gifted and seniors here wrote were very -no, extremely negative. It leads me to wonder, "Why so smart but so negative and evil!?!?!?" (Scary!)

Thanks once again!

(Remember, "Love the vertically challenged!")

[pyTony]

Sorry for the spanking, it is sometimes diffiult to post suggestgions to OP so they are understood, not give ready answer to home work etc... Your post kind of remainded me of my own post to newbies, which I used to link to in my signature before Markdown change, so it needs update to use again: http://www.daniweb.com/software-development/python/threads/359823/home-work-challenge-

[Reverend Jim]

One thing I noticed is many people are 'speaking in code'

If you mean code as in computer code, except in the trivial case I try to post comments and explanations with my code. In my "read this before posting" thread on the vb.net forum I encourage posters to organize their thoughts and ask clear questions. In spite of this, some people still post code followed by "it's broken". Can't be helped I suppose.

Other kinds of code which I try to discourage are chatroom speak (IMHO, IANAL, etc) and leet which are difficult enough for us English-only dinosaurs to follow at times let alone our foreign friends.

On my first day, I thought about contributing -and I did, and --- I got hacked when I made a mistake, and a vet user of DaniWeb hacked me!

DaniWeb is made up of many individuals with many varied personality types. Try not to let a bad comment from another user turn you off. Perhaps he was just having a bad day. I've had days like that when I have reacted in a way that I later regretted. It happens and it's nothing personal.

Also, with so many PhD’s, and people with B.S. (lol), and Masters degrees, you would think they would be enlightened enough to 'TEACH' or guide noobs down the electronic bit-path(?).

Having a degree doesn't make you nice or enlightened. It just makes you a more educated version of what you were before. It would be great if ones horizons were broadened by higher education. Sometimes it just doesn't work out that way.

but if you have no one to share it with, what is the point

That's one of the things that drew me to DaniWeb following my retirement.

You'll probably be able to relate to this

[mike_2000_17]

Thanks for the nice poem! Woot Woot!

Being human is hard, I'm still learning...

One thing I noticed is many people are 'speaking in code'

I sometimes find code easier to understand than "human language". Might have something to do with being dyslexic.

I try to be nice to noobs, and I wouldn't be helping people out on these forums if I didn't care about teaching. But I also believe that using rigorous language is the foundation of a good understanding, so it sometimes becomes hard to balance layman explanations with technically accurate terms.

But, all in all, people here are not as "robotic" as you may think, in fact quite the opposite. The proof of that is the diversity of the people and their approaches, and perhaps their mood-swings as well. If you had poor experiences with some people here, then just remember that they are just humans. Overall, this is a very nice community that is very welcoming to "noobs". In fact, I would say it is one of Daniweb's strong suites.

[deceptikon]

You'll probably be able to relate to this

That's hilarious, unfortunately because it's so true. For example, programming books have an annoying tendency to leave the hardest and most important parts as "exercises for the reader".

[Helianthus]

Hi everybody, my name is Helianthus and I am a Noob.... :)

I have to say that I found this Cycle of Life Code article refreshing. I just joined this site today and, in addition to a lot of good information, I also found what I expected. Noob bashing and vets with attitudes. Kinda boring, and so I just ignore it. Why feed it??

So, I have one thought to add to the article: just because you are a veteran programmer does not make you more intelligent (higher IQ) then the student, it just makes you more learned on a topic. As many of the "noobs" who have graced these pages, I am hear to learn and seek guidance.

I have posted two questions today. One had a response that was, I believe, an attempt at being helpful. The response to the other was not an attempt to help with a stated code problem, but instead to do a bit of puffing. I can see from all that I have read on this site today that there is a considerable number of folks here who really know their stuff and who put a lot of time into guiding us "noobs". I am not impressed by puffed chests, but instead by those who are willing to share their knowledge in a respectful manner.

Whether I end up hanging around this community for very long, or not, it is nice to know that you folks are forward thinking enough to care about first impressions.

[Reverend Jim]

For example, programming books have an annoying tendency to leave the hardest and most important parts as "exercises for the reader".

I once worked for a person who had trouble explaining things. His idea of explaining a beach would be to describe every grain of sand on it. Unfortunately, it fell to him to give us a working knowledge of our (at the time, which was 1983) new AGC/SCADA system. You can imagine how well that went. One line of code at a time.

just because you are a veteran programmer does not make you more intelligent (higher IQ) then the student, it just makes you more learned on a topic

I couldn't agree more. And just because I have more experience in some area doesn't mean that I can't learn something new about it from a "noob".

I am not impressed by puffed chests, but instead by those who are willing to share their knowledge in a respectful manner.

Also agree. There are those who talk to impress and those who talk to inform. I have no use for the former.