Why programming is fun

Why do you program? Do you love what you do or hate what you do?

Most people I talk to can't wrap their head around the concept of turning a hobby into a job or career. When you love to do something in your spare time, there comes a time when you realize you could actually make a living at this.

"You mean...make money? You would pay me to do something I love? Oh, that's ridiculous!"

Yes, exactly! It's so crazy, it just might work. ;-)

Most programmers think of a computer as a "digital canvas" and "paint" their masterpiece one line of code at a time. Others think of it as a job. They hate their job. They hate getting up in the morning. They hate getting in their car. They despise the traffic. They hate going to work. Plain and simple.

Every programmer I've met in my life has had one simple characteristic that is key to making a living as a programmer: Humor. Humor = fun. Programming can be fun. Really.

David Intersimone, Vice President of Developer Relations and Chief Evangelist for Borland Software, wrote a post on Dr. Dobb's Journal as to why programming is fun. His key points are everything I've ever felt about programming, which are spot on.

You could also classify this article as a sequel to an earlier post I made this year called why money doesn't bring happiness.

Just make sure you're doing what you're doing because you want to, not because you have to.