Why Should I Program

Well, you may have come to this site by accident, and you see a bunch of people programming as a hobby.

So, you understandably wonder what the attraction behind programming is at all.

Well, fortunately, there's a relatively simple answer.

Programs make a computer do exactly what you tell it to.

Did you catch that?

Just in case, here it is again.

Programs make a computer do exactly what you tell it to.

But, before I go on, I should give a disclaimer:

Notice! A computer won't do what you tell it to. "Telling" a computer to do something actually means translating into a machine language.

Also, a computer will do exactly what you tell it to. It obeys to the letter. Which means that if you make a mistake, it'll do the code with the mistake assuming that's what you meant it to do.

So, how do I tell a computer to do something? A programming language. Unless you're a geek, it really isn't recommended to teach yourself any language other than BASIC (Aptly enough, Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code).

Now, learning a programming language is like learning any other language. There's grammar, and sentence structure, and a lot more semicolons than most people like.

But in all this, I haven't gotten to the topic on hand. Why program? I've got four reasons:

  • It's fun. Heck, if you want to, you can make your computer say "Hello master" on startup, and "Whatever you wish, master" whenever you open a file.
  • It's useful. Don't like a certain app? Try your hand at making a new, better version of it.
  • It's a job. Programming is one of the highest paid professions.
  • It's got a great community. I mean, just look at the one you've just stumbled into!
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