www.hardcoded.nl Less = more

The internet is filled with flamewars, trolls and stories on how to become great. Most linkedin users, forum abusers and casual readers have seen questions such as

• how to become a great developer
• how to get famous
• starting a million dollar company
• how to become a skilled influencer
• ...

Most topics end with a flame war ... people tend to loose their temper and manners and fail to answer the question or discuss the topic at hand. Lately I've been following several threads, started on linkedin about which php framework to use, or would you use php over java or how to become a great developer.

Again and again we all seem to fall into the same trap as always. Most people tend to ask, how can I become a good developer/good tester/good employer and so forth. And here the flame war starts, for the question they wrote in the topic starter is: "how can I become a good developer?" and most people start answering on how to become a great participating teammember, and/or employee.

In itself a small enough mistake (if you could call it a mistake), the topic starter attracts opinionated people from both groups and here we have the mix for an old-fashioned flamewar. Most developers agree on how to become a great developer, while most others agree on how to become a great employee. Both parties off course have their common ground. We all agree to finish work within expectation and a given timeframe.

Although we differ on how to reach those simple enough goals.

So these are my ideas on how to become a great developer.

• Play around, toy with new technologies and tinker with them; we're technicians and learn our trade from practice
• Don't get jailed in by using only one language in a lifetime, download all those interpreters/compilers and ide's and try to build some custom software with several languages. See how they differ and see how they would apply to different circumstances
• Read, read and read; don't think you understand how your area of expertise works ... get to know it insight out and when ready publish your understandings through blogs, books and postings; see how the community agrees or even more preferable disagrees with you
• Learn how to have a friendly and open discussion with partners, peers and opponents; learn their point of views and evaluate them in earnest; the group and/or individuals probably outsmart you
• Learn how to fail and start again
• Don't let your own opinion gain the upper hand

When you follow my advise, you'll see they don't only apply to programming; oh no they apply to all the things you do in life. To some, my advise will be logical; while others will find it to superficial. When you're one of those ... remember the last idea I wrote down ...

On how to become a good employee, go and ask your boss! They will have an opinion on how you could become their best employee ever ... The second you start to doubt your what he/she tells you, start asking peers or just learn to use google.