“Two wrongs may not make a right, but a thousand wrongs make a writer.” - Dennis Miller

I recently wrote a post called The Reality of Bad Programmers, I made an assessment that so long as a program is to specification and someone is buying it, you’re not a bad programmer. In the discussion and comments that ensued, I had to come to a realization that the statements made may require some revision. That’s not to say I think I was entirely off-base, just that I might have to clarify.

To clarify: I do not believe that good programmers do not exist. I do not believe that bad programmers do not exist. I do not believe that good code does not exist. I do not believe that bad code does not exist. I believe that our measurement for good and bad must be a strong lower-bounded assessment.

One can never understand the circumstances surrounding code, so one should never assume it’s because the programmer wanted it that way. In addition, striving to be a better programmer is something that should be added to the lower bound. It doesn’t matter if you even get better (you will), but intellectual curiosity and application of its results are essential.

So with that out of the way, I want to focus now on the positive. How can you improve yourself as a programmer?

As you can tell, this is my personal blog. I use this to jot down my thoughts, share them, and possibly get some feedback. The point of this blog is, clearly, shared personal growth. When I wrote my last article, I didn’t expect any feedback. It was the first on my site. It was my test run. It was the inspiration for making the site, sure, but it was not meant to get any visitors. Low and behold, I must have struck some archetype for coders that made them feel compelled to tell me I’m wrong … a lot :-P . But that’s good, that’s exactly what I want.

And that’s exactly what you should want, too. Programming is not a race to see who can write the most elite algorithm. Programming is about doing something you feel is good. If earning money is good, then earn your money… but write about it. If making good software engineering choice is good, then write about those choices. If pumping out the most applications that help the most people in the shortest time is good, then write about Rapid Application Development. Either way, the more you write, the better you become.

I generally hate this term (I’ll probably write an article on why), but if one is to define Web2.0 as being user-driven content, then writing and getting feedback is like Web2.0 for your brain. You can change your mind, you can find better ways to do things, but you will never be “better” unless you share your content with others and likewise they share theirs with you. That is why this is the first in this series. Being a writer makes you a better programmer.