Do you cook? And… does that make you a cook?

More and more, life is code!
Low/No code is something awesome when done right, and even then you will still need some code.

With barely basic knowledge, will, and anger alone I was able to automate my whole team workload by doing a web scraper… in VBA… in Excel.

There are people out there doing so much more on their jobs with code, I would guess probably with Python, maybe with Javascript.

The question is: they code, but are they programmers?

Most likely not.

They code and solve problems with code, they use StackOverflow, and they probably learn from some Indian guy on Youtube… but code is just a tool in their toolbox.

Then, what makes a programmer?

What is the line between an amateur and a professional?

You cook, and you probably even have one dish that can be better than that of a professional cook.
You can take photos, and some might be true works of art, but how are you different from a professional photographer?

What is the difference between someone who programs and a programmer?

My turning point

For me, the “turning point” was discovering Uncle Bob.

I’ve devoured his books and started binge-watching every talk I could find:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo61EKto8ZPHUOld83z0pwpzdlioliu6j

I’m not sure if this masterclass has everything I’ll be talking about, but it's a good starting point.

Uncle Bob likes to talk about how a profession means to profess something and to have standards.

He talks about how medicine has its oath and that we, programmers, need one too and offers his version of the Programmer’s Oath (or also, the Coder’s Code):

https://blog.cleancoder.com/uncle-bob/2015/11/18/TheProgrammersOath.html

What makes a professional: Intent

For me, it’s intent.

Anyone can and should code.
It’s a skill as valuable today as typing was one day and spreadsheets was (still is?) today.
Coding might even come to be as easy as taking a photo today!

So, the thing that makes you jump from someone who codes to a programmer is, and maybe should be, intent.

When I’ve started applying what I’ve learned from Uncle Bob and the Coder’s Code, more and more I’ve started trying to do always better, holding myself and my colleagues to higher standards.

For you, what was your “turning point” and what do you think makes a programmer?

Cover Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash