Why I Love Programming

On the heels of two posts on where I'm working and the tools I'm using, I wanted to share some more general thoughts on why I love my job so much.  The perks and the pay certainly don't hurt, but honestly, if they didn't pay me, I would do this for free.

Along these lines, I wanted to share the following Quora posts on why people stick with programming when so many other people burn out on their careers:

Read Xavier Amatriain's answer to What do people in Silicon Valley plan to do once they are over 35? on Quora

Read Tim Daly's answer to Do people lose interest in programming as they age? on Quora

And finally, what makes a good programmer?

Read Michael O. Church's answer to What do the top 1% of software engineers do that the other 99% do not? on Quora

My own editorial: I do it because it's fun.  I love building things that other people can use.  I love it when the thing I build is aesthetically beautiful and also makes someone's life better in some small way.  The law was a very left-brain profession, and web design and development let me flex both my left brain and my right.  The field is constantly changing and there's always something new to learn.  It's a hot new industry filled with young, energetic people and lots of perks.  It's new and innovative and we have no idea what it will look like in 5 years.

I love being part of that.