programming

The Existential Terror of Battle Royale

video games

The Existential Terror of Battle Royale

It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post, I guess in general, but also a blog post about video games. Video games are probably the single thing most attributable to my career as a programmer, and everything else I’ve done professionally after that. I still feel

By Jeff Atwood ·
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The God Login

algorithms

The God Login

I graduated with a Computer Science minor from the University of Virginia in 1992. The reason it’s a minor and not a major is because to major in CS at UVa you had to go through the Engineering School, and I was absolutely not cut out for that kind

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Somebody is to Blame for This

programming

Somebody is to Blame for This

This is not a post about programming, or being a geek. In all likelihood, this is not a post you will enjoy reading. Consider yourselves warned. I don’t remember how I found this Moth video of comedian Anthony Griffith. It is not a fun thing to watch, especially as

By Jeff Atwood ·
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My Holiday in Beautiful Panau

programming

My Holiday in Beautiful Panau

There is a high correlation between “programmer” and “gamer.” One of the first Area 51 sites we launched, based on community demand, was gaming.stackexchange.com. Despite my fundamental skepticism about gaming as a Q&A topic – as expressed on episode 87 of Herding Code – I have to admit

By Jeff Atwood ·
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On Working Remotely

remote work

On Working Remotely

When I first chose my own adventure, I didn’t know what working remotely from home was going to be like. I had never done it before. As programmers go, I’m fairly social. Which still means I’m a borderline sociopath by normal standards. All the same, I was

By Jeff Atwood ·
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open source

Is Open Source Experience Overrated?

I’m a big advocate of learning on the battlefield. And that certainly includes what may be the most epic battle of them all: open source software. Contribute to an open-source project. There are thousands, so pick whatever strikes your fancy. But pick one and really dig in, become an

By Jeff Atwood ·
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The Hardest Interview Puzzle Question Ever

puzzle

The Hardest Interview Puzzle Question Ever

Have you ever been to an interview for a programming job where they asked you one of those interview puzzle questions? I have. The one I got was: How much of your favorite brand of soda is consumed in this state? And no, the correct answer is not who cares,

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Sharpening the Saw

productivity

Sharpening the Saw

As a software developer, how do you sharpen your saw? Sharpening the saw is shorthand for anything you do that isn’t programming, necessarily, but (theoretically) makes you a better programmer. It’s derived from the Covey book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. There’s a guy who

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Are You An Expert?

software development

Are You An Expert?

I think I have a problem with authority. Starting with my own. It troubles me greatly to hear that people see me as an expert or an authority, and not a fellow amateur. If I’ve learned anything in my career, it is that approaching software development as an expert,

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Have Keyboard, Will Program

keyboard

Have Keyboard, Will Program

My beloved Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000 has succumbed to the relentless pounding of my fingers. A moment of silence, please. OK, it still works, technically, but certain keys have become... unreliable. In particular, the semicolon key is now infuriatingly difficult to use. I don’t know if this is God’

By Jeff Atwood ·
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strings

The Sad Tragedy of Micro-Optimization Theater

I’ll just come right out and say it: I love strings. As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t a problem that I can’t solve with a string and perhaps a regular expression or two. But maybe that’s just my lack of math skills talking. In

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Coding: It’s Just Writing

programming

Coding: It’s Just Writing

In The Programming Aphorisms of Strunk and White, James Devlin does a typically excellent job of examining something I’ve been noticing myself over the last five years: The unexpected relationship between writing code and writing. There is perhaps no greater single reference on the topic of writing than Strunk

By Jeff Atwood ·
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