The elusive beast named "Programming"

Programming, coding, scripting. Saying these words brings to mind images of long crazy lines of green text on a black screen, or men with ridiculously long beards. But programming is something that everyone can do, and should at least try for a little bit if they use a computer at all.

Seriously.

Let me say that again. Programming is something EVERYONE who uses a computer can do. The fact that you're reading this blog, on a computer, is enough proof anyone needs to show that they have the ability to code.

But sadly, programming might not be something everyone enjoys. Programming is all about problem solving, and I won't lie to you, it can sometimes be frustrating. Missing simple errors can cause crazy problems, like forgetting to put a lug nut on your car's wheel. You might not notice it immediately, but good lord when it crashes it's going to be elegantly disastrous.

So, what is programming like? Programming is a great mix of many things, some describe it as an art form, while others would say its a technical skill to get something done. Without actually showing you how to program the closest thing I can find is cooking. Yup, cooking. When you program, you're writing extremely specific instructions for the computer to follow, like a cooking recipe, and the ingredients for your "recipe" is the data! The computer will follow every valid instruction you give it, exactly as you tell it to. This is where the trouble comes in for beginner programmers. They think that the computer will just "know" what to do if they don't put every instruction. Not true. Computers are not smart, if you tell it to delete your entire hard drive, guess what? You've just lost all your pictures of kittens. It's a hard truth to accept about computers, but when you're programming, if it's not working, 99.9% of the time it's the programmers fault. BUT, if you learn WHY something isn't working, you'll be on the fast track to becoming a great programmer.

Also, Google search is your friend. Your BEST friend. You should know almost everything about Google's advanced search by the time you're making your own applications!

Don't worry guys, the actual programming is coming! But having some background is going to help a ton. Understanding whats going on in programs is extremely important, and understanding the underlying principles and ideas of programming is what will make you an amazing programmer/engineer/hobbyist/ninja!

(I can't promise that if you DO become a ninja we won't be rivals!)