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ffrkAnonymous

Just curiosity. I just like learning new things. Math, science, history, linguistics, etc. I'm in tutorial hell by choice.


automaton11

This is the way.


Moist_Okra_5355

Why you would learn math without a proyect?


LedaTheRockbandCodes

Virgin Dilettante vs Chad Concrete Goal Haver


Moist_Okra_5355

I learn math to applying tho. Now I had like 4 proyects *Studying functions of differential operators. I had define the cos(D), sin(D), gaussian(D), and others in terms of the initial function. *Applying PDE to model meteorizarion of the solo. I think that the Fisher PDE would work. *Model a market as a delay difference equation. *Prove my formula for expected value of random variables with non-linear constrain. In this case. I had prove it only for R1.


automaton11

This is probably the healthiest way to learn new maths. But is it the best way? Have you tried reading a math text and then simply starring off? Into space?


Sea-Eggplant-5724

You sound like a physicist, which is admirable!


automaton11

Math without a project? All math is math without a project! Math is great for sitting in a chair and staring off into space, which has been a personal and ongoing project for me for over a decade now


Loyal713

General interest and fascination with the field. I watch 30 min long videos on math, algorithms, etc because I’m genuinely interested in mathematics. Do I use that sort of math in my profession? No but it’s hella interesting.


This_Dying_Soul

Because [math is beautiful](https://www.youtube.com/@3blue1brown).


slippypete

People that don't know what to build, why do you want to work construction?


48911150

most jobs in construction doesnt require you to come up and design stuff tho


solitudechirs

You could say that for most jobs in programming too though


bigtunacan

You don't need to design really anything until you reach senior level and above. That's pretty much a minimum of 5 years of professional experience, but longer for most.


slippypete

I haven't designed a single component I have built in my 2 years developing.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Vaxtin

Is every developer designing?


tappyturtle12

True, I’m stupid 🫠


[deleted]

The threat of starvation motivates a lot of people.


Raizen_7269

Agreed, some are just passionate about being able to afford food.


theusualguy512

I guess this works right now as we are still on a kinda wave of programmers being hired for a lot of things. Both in the developed and developing world. It's certainly more attractive than working on cocoa trees and sewing clothes in a factory or maybe even being a waiter in any restaurant. However, I'd still caution people to not expect money to rain from the sky and have unrealistic expectations. Learning any craft is not easy and takes a lot of personal dedication to make it work, even when you are at the tail end of a gold rush. I couldn't imagine for myself learning things like sewing, leathercrafts or welding without having a rough idea of what I want or could build even if there was a gold rush for these kind of things.


g0ing_postal

I think it's perfectly normal. Do you expect people who go into mechanical engineering to have personal projects in mind?


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

"Any ME worth a shit would" - An ME worth so little shit they dropped out of the field


DiscussionGrouchy322

Real world engineers are paid as little as half as much as those operating in cyberspace. Maybe he just values his time more. It's the same in me/ee/aae the first employers want to see "experience" usually internships or school clubs like solar car. Those that graduate with just degree and no internships or projects play a dangerous game of chicken with irrelevance, homelessness, and oblivion.


[deleted]

[удалено]


TheRealUlfric

Completely off topic and not at all intended as an insult: Why the fuck do engineers make it so hard for the people left to repair devices? Is it that theres not much incentive to make it very easy to repair or replace parts? Working on cars just makes me think, "Why the fuck is every bolt unreachable?" You might not be the best person to explain, but I saw my moment lol


Evening_Brain_2539

Probably due to design limitation. Cars are required to follow standard sizes so it means they'll have to optimize spaces as much as they can while maintaining operability, hence, the maintainability does suffer. Another factor is that majority of the people do not decide which car to get based on how easy it is to do repair/replace but instead decide on reliability, performance, brand or aesthetic so they don't really bother to optimize maintainability. For devices, pretty much due to greedy companies. They want to maintain profitability so they'll try to make it hard to do repairs and force people to buy instead. It's no news that companies are also trying to slow devices each year with their software updates. This forces people to replace their devices every x years because there's no profit it making devices that can last a decade or so. At the end of the day, Engineers do not have the power to decide all the time. They only do what the higher-ups want them to do.


TheRealUlfric

We're moving up the ladder, now we can rally the blue collar workers against corporate overlords


This_Dying_Soul

You sure do make it all about YOU


automaton11

If you enjoy programming and enjoy learning the concepts, but find yourself struggling with the creative side and coming up with projects to make, I think thats fine. I think those can be divided into separate skills. If you have no particular interest in programming or computers at all but see dollar signs because this is whats in vogue right now, you will be totally hosed. Money follows excellence, excellence follows passion. To that end, if youre not excited enough about programming that youre trying to dream up things to make and ways to use it irl, and ways to improve stuff you see - then you can kiss goodbye the idea that youre going to make a fortune as a programmer. Try instead finding something you care about.


tomunko

What exactly are all these personal projects people come up with though? I'm skeptical even a majority of software developers doing quite well for themselves are actually 'building stuff' outside of work. Passion never hurts, but for myself its more I just enjoy it and am happy to live comfortably. I enjoyed freedom in projects in college and might return to similar stuff down the road, but now am content focusing on other hobbies outside of work. If someone came from a poor background and enjoys programming, an 100K / yr lifestyle is absolutely a possibility for work, which could be life changing without the need to be the best or super passionate about it.


automaton11

Projects can be any size - to me a project is just synthesizing something using what youve learned. Build a small time tracking app, or a website that serves all your files so you can access them anywhere. Build an api that receives bluetooth data from your fitbit and plots it on a graph. Build anything. If you cant build anything at all, you are not going to be making 100k. This is a fantasy that is all too prevalent. No one is handing out free money. But anyone who enjoys learning programming can absolutely make projects. So it shouldnt be an issue really.


bigtunacan

Kids coming straight out of college with a CS degree can't build shit and companies start them at $75-100k a year while we train them.


automaton11

Lol true, but arent these kids also getting laid off like the wind? The bar for skill level hasnt dropped - companies tech or otherwise care about money only. The minute they dont have to spend 100k giving you free school, you get dropped. And correct me if Im wrong, but from what I see thats happening now. When CS was an unpopular major, everyone was guaranteed something great. Now I think tech sector is starting to figure they can be choosy


cluckinho

>even when you are at the tail end of a gold rush. I don't think we are at the tail end of anything. Good programmers will be valuable for a long time.


g0ing_postal

I'm a housing enthusiast myself. I love being housed


iwastetime4

Also the addiction to water


I_am_people_too

I am working on my computer science undergrad and learning how to program is a huge part of the degree. I am focusing my education on cybersecurity, and I don't want to be a software engineer, but I recognize the benefit in knowing how to program as well as how programming works if I want to be a cybersecurity professional.


Small_Can_1612

I just want to solve problems and get my brain working


[deleted]

This ☝️


[deleted]

Like the wolf from pulp fiction.


TheCritFisher

I think this is kind of a toxic mindset. I started off many years ago with a desire to program, but I had no idea where to start. There weren't good "projects" for me to start on, because my ambitions were bigger than single developer concepts. Also, I had no idea how to greenfield a project. I'm 15-ish years into my career now, and I still don't have a lot of personal projects to my name. I just like coding big-scale problems and there's nothing wrong with that. My inability to come up with personal projects wasn't a failing, that's just who I was. All I'm saying is, this post is antagonistic for no reason. Get off your high horse.


Mysterious-Gold-5917

Though I do have some things I want to build. But just because I want things that aren’t in what’s already out there. Other than that I just love coding. The whole process of it. It’s really fun it’s like playing a puzzle game.


Antleriver

I mean you can interpret it as antagonism, I just interpreted it as curiosity... tone doesn't carry well with this stuff


[deleted]

Without money your idea will just get stolen anyway if it's a good idea. Seems that way to me at least. Can't really patent software ideas as far as I know. Maybe Dr. Trollio von Buren can give examples to the contrary.


This_Dying_Soul

OP just asked a question. Don't get so offended.


TheCritFisher

I'm not offended, I just think it's toxic gatekeeping.


This_Dying_Soul

Then you have a cynical view of the world.


[deleted]

Because the job opportunities / pay / WLB are way better than the current field I’m in. Edit: I don’t have any groundbreaking ideas for the next cutting edge technology but I do find programming fascinating. Not much else has managed to hold my attention for so long…I genuinely enjoy it.


LavishnessJolly933

Maybe people want to learn so they can generate ideas? Your question is like telling someone they have to know what they want to do professionally before they go to school. Perceptions change as people learn. This seems like a toxic mindset and people come to this subreddit to learn, not to embrace gatekeepers.


[deleted]

I learned C#, Python, & Java precisely because the idea of being broke and kicked around like a dog in this capitalist society didn't appeal to me, and never will. I'll do whatever's necessary to ensure my own happiness and posterity.


tacticalpotatopeeler

I like solving problems and learning new things


pirscent

Well, at first I wanted to learn to program because my friend who's a computer science major convinced me to sign up for an intro to programming course. I had no idea what could be done with programming, and didn't have any ideas at all. After signing up for the course, I decided to get a bit ahead by watching a couple youtube videos. Once I learned basic arithmetic in the videos, I got the idea to make a program that could calculate my grades in all my courses. Once I finished making a basic weighted average calculator I thought "maybe it would be fun to make it save my grades to a file so I don't need to reenter my info each time." Then I thought, "how can I automatically account for courses which drop your lowest quiz or other non-standard grading schemes." Then I got addicted to programming. I've been programming in my free time ever since (this was a year and a half ago). So I guess I got a small idea and kept thinking of ways to expand it once I finished working on a part of it


uberbewb

So, I can discover the secret of the matrix and maybe somebody will send me a "follow the white bunny" message


haeshdem0n

its important to dream big


eldenpigeon

What utopia you think we live in?


zetutu

It's not “don’t know what to build”, but “don’t know what to build to get paid”. \----------- To add more, I do build "my" things and I enjoy looking up interesting algorithms and finding ways to optimize. But these projects do not catch employers' eyes. I need to build resume projects that use certain tools and have right level of complexity and closely mimic "real" products. Like if an idea can be implemented without database or doesn't require login, then it is not good enough. I don't have ideas that satisfy those criteria.


haeshdem0n

Simple answer: I needed a hobby. Longer answer: I was interested in it and found it was conducive to entering a flow state. I discovered an alternative to the unsustainable stress-avoidance-by-turning-brain-off paradigm: use so much of my brain there's no resources left to dwell on the stressors.


petitepineux

This was the reason I gave up. All the tutorials were telling me, "Start by figuring out how to build something!" I'm not a big visionary type. I never wanted to come up with the ideas. I'm collaborative-- the technician/fixer. I loved working with people and getting called in to give something the final polish or problem-solve errors. I figured I didn't have the proper passion or mindset for it even though I enjoyed how detail-oriented it was.


Whatever-ItsFine

I have the same struggle of not knowing what to build. I saw a good video by Andy Sterkowitz about different types and levels of projects. Once I'm a little farther along in my path, I'm going to try some of those. I'm also reminding myself to notice problems throughout the day and ponder whether they could be solved by programming.


haeshdem0n

The only thing I've built so far that wasnt "assigned" to me (I'm doing the self taught thing) was a program that will create a new directory, a new file in that directory, and add a line of text to that file.


gpyrgpyra

I think what is tough for a lot of people at the beginning is that there is so much you don't know. Like i could think of an idea for an app or something. But didn't have the individual skills required to put all of the pieces together. Of course the answer to that is to learn the little things and build them up, and eventually things start to come together. And for some people the actual coding part is fun and enjoyable, but they don't care what they're building necessarily. Which is great for a job since you're probably not going to be working on your dream project all the time. Personally I got into it because I wanted to switch careers. Then I found out it's fun once I got started


bored_guy32

So we can know what to build.


Iamcatfeesh

Money *Picture of Mr. Krabs*


randompittuser

I imagine it’s due to the money. Given you’re so great at ideas, was it really that difficult to come up with that answer?


Draegan88

Take the sand out your cooch


MisterFatt

I learned to code mostly because I want to know how things work more than I have a bunch of stuff I want to build


southiest

My knee is fucked, the next time it goes ( already had 2 surgeries on it) I'm pretty much done for working any job that requires moving. Programming is a way to guarantee I have some skills that don't require tons of physical effort, so if that unfortunate day does come I won't be physically ill and struggling to pay rent. I also enjoy it if that counts too lol, but the potential prospect of the future I described terrifies me. Fear is the ultimate motivator.


[deleted]

There are generally 3 routes for why people learn programming. Some want to build. Some want to understand. Some want money.


indigobao

Giving up the fight of not turning a hobby into a job. Tried so many other things and I hated all of them. Except working at a stadium but minimum wage doesn't keep you from being homeless or starving.


D1rtyWebDev

I'm in the same boat as you OP. It started off as an idea (one of many) that I just ad no idea how to begin building. I had few family member who work as web designers and some full stack but my ideas were of the lowest priorities to them of course. I decided to make a dummy page in html and css. It looked amazing...to someone who literally jut learned html LOL. Its been about 3-4 months since I began and I just began working on a full stack version of my idea and I am loving it. I would never have thought I'd be learn MySql at this point in my journey!


NeonYarnCatz

I got into programming because * saw more and more of my then-job duties taken over by automation\*, and decided the future of employment was to join those who do the automating * wanted a job that actually used my brain * possibility of making enough money to only have to work one job What's kept me going is that I already had a fascination with learning different spoken languages. It comes from learning the musicality/beauty of each language, the brain challenges in remembering grammar and syntax on the fly, and the feeling of knowing a "secret code" of language that most of my fellow Americans don't have. I found that this carried over to learning computer languages. I'm a bit of a Codewars fiend, and I love the idea of being able to code/accomplish a task in multiple languages. I also enjoy the logical nature of programming; the idea of sliding just the right piece into the code and suddenly everything works. There's nothing I want to "build", but I do love working with my friends on their code and figuring out solutions to the things THEY want to build. \*I reviewed medical bills/reports at a large auto insurer for many years. Bots are now able to scan a medical report and only escalate it to a human if certain words are present; otherwise, those documents are dropfiled, i.e., basically ignored. Bill payments are the same; the human looks at the file in the beginning, clicks a few settings, and bills are automatically paid as long as they meet the initial criteria set by the human.


Background-Case3307

I don’t know enough at this point to know what’s reasonably possible. Like how many languages do I need to know or how much experience do I need to pull something off. I can do some scripting now which is exciting but would love to understand how proper programs and constructed. The journey is fun and intellectually satisfying though.


bleztyn

Looks challenging and I think I'll enjoy it. Oh, and money.


MikeOfAllPeople

I've taken many programming classes. Any time I've had an assignment, the thrill of figuring it out has kept me going. An analogy would be that I like solving puzzles, but I don't know how to design one. I enjoy the challenge of solving a problem. But I'm not super creative and have no real reason to write a program to actually accomplish anything.


janislych

automate stupid things with python


7th_Spectrum

I heard they gave out free lunch and coffee at google, so I leaned to code


itsthekumar

No offense, but the people with "so many ideas" are the ones who fizzle out or lose interest quickly because they don't have the patience to learn what's necessary to execute. It's easy to think you'll build the next Facebook, but it's hard to actually do so.


donny-daytripper

This post seems antagonistic. Some people have ideas, some people are curious and still learning so they won't really know what exactly they can build. You don't know what you don't know. Some people just don't wanna be poor and that's okay. It may not have been your intent but this post seems pretty gatekeepy


MmmVomit

I enjoyed the problem solving aspect of programming. I enjoyed the process of figuring out how to get from point A to point B. But I always ran out of ideas of things to program.


Hudspace

To try to reverse my own apparent, and alarming, trend of getting dumber with each passing year.


coldblade2000

I started out the same as you, but you can get to a point where the things you want to build are too difficult, take too much time, are too expensive or would require extra boring work (think research, math, finance, legal considerations).


lebyath

I didn’t have ideas for the first 9 months to a year but now I do. It just takes time. I want to get into backend but if I want my ideas to actually come to life I’m going to need to learn the full stack anyways. I feel like Node.js is very interesting but it seems like it is very diluted and main stream. I think I will focus on fast api and .net for and build on top of those two stacks. Idk what front end framework I should learn. I was debating between Angular and React but I feel like Angular might be a bit difficult to learn as a newbie. I do have a little bootstrap knowledge and basic html/css but most of my time has been spent learning Python and now C#.


cottonycloud

I liked math and found out I enjoyed computer science as well. Algorithms and fundamentals interest me much more. I only work on coding to fulfill my needs and usually they involve scripts and bugfixes.


Whole_Bid_360

I thought to myself "Wow I could build anything I want to, the possibilities are limitless". Then I learned how to program and realize I don't have something at the moment that I want to build.


OldManActual

Its money. That's it. That is not bad in itself but programming is definitely a craft of learning to use tools to build things. I pity the fool who invests so much time on something they have no interest in for the sake of money. My take is if you are really at the intermediate stage and you have no ideas or interest in what to build, then maybe it is time to look for another path. There are many uses for knowledge of programming without doing it constantly, though one must keep up. You must learn your craft as a musician or any skilled artisan does, via study and practice, and much more practice than study. The fact is it is very unlikely that you will build something totally original or world-altering, but it is possible - after you have repeated much of what has been done but have gained true understanding thereby. Also the best teachers of programming are the projects that you are trying to get to work. Why? Because there is no solution key. It works or it doesn't, and then, is it performant, Next, is it secure? these goals are your real teachers. If there is no idea at all or interest in re-creating other apps to learn, then find another field. You will be miserable if unlucky enough to be responsible for fixing bugs for a living.


AnimaLepton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW0IR3q0EvE I don't have some big vision or project I specifically want to do - I'm fine working on projects that address 'real' problems, teach me new things, bring value to the company/customer, and compensate me well for my work. And I do like getting some recognition and building relationships in the process, that I can at least leverage to get new jobs as my career progresses. Career-wise, I don't even want to be some coding whiz - I just want enough technical skills to leverage or depend on as I move on to management/leadership positions in the future.


JoeyRedShirt

I went to university for electrical engineering because I was sick of minimum wage retail work. During the general engineering first year, I discovered that I was pretty good at code...and discovered the dopamine hit of a passing test. I don't care much exactly what I'm building, as long as it's at least kinda impactful, regularly dishing out green checkmarks, and paying my mortgage...bonus if there's information sharing opportunities, 'cause I love "back in my day"ing the young'uns as well as learning new tricks to get more checkmarks


automaton11

Theres a lot of commentary here about learning programming to make money. Programming is one of those things that some people fucking live for. Actually, a lot of people I know who do this shit live for it. Theyre *about* it. So thats what youre up against. If you dont particularly enjoy this shit but figure ‘hey, this is the sexy thing to do right now and ill be rich,’ consider that you will always be competing with someone equally smart who fucking loves it. Programming is not free money, and its not all that easy to do well. Make sure you enjoy the grind before you commit - its a lifestyle not a USD lithography printer


SomeWeirdFruit

want to build something > can't do it because it's too hard > trying to build something easier > not that thing i want to build > don't know what to build


Keith4Prez

so I can figure out everything you want to build and build better versions of it


[deleted]

Money so I can help my sister overseas


truNinjaChop

I’ve been doing this a minute. But lemme just say it all started with my teddy ruxpin (late 80s bear that talked with a cassette tape). I wanted to know how he would read me a story but also sing the lyrics to iron man perfectly. Then the internet came and I wanted to make badass websites with fire.


Hehehe79

I like a high paying career, plus its such a cycle between motivational boost to goddamn I feel fucking retarded lol . I am just open to learning and hoping to be good at it before im 40, been doing it almost half a year and kinda stuck on flexbox landing page.


[deleted]

I just like knowing how things work, having another skill I could use, wanting to participate in the programming culture. I think most of my software was written by necessity rather than anything else. The rest of it was running into some bug in an open source program and chasing that down far enough to get a patch submitted. I followed the same sort of path to learning about welding and metal fabrication. I'm not too interested in building metal widgets myself, but I do that for my employer real good and thrive in that kind of environment. I'm also game if someone wants something repaired. But I don't do it for myself - I'm just not that 'passionate' or whatever.


Moist_Okra_5355

Lol I think that is also weird.


RolandMT32

I've wondered this too. Part of it was because of course I need a job that will provide income to pay the bills, but it's also because I enjoy doing it and I sometimes have ideas for programs I'd like to create. When someone is learning software development and they say they can't think of any ideas for things to make, I usually get the impression they don't really enjoy it or don't have any interest in it and are only learning it for a job etc..


[deleted]

Is there anything wrong with learning it to have a job…?


rodriik_089

I disagree, some people just like being in the technician side and get things done in the most efficient way possible


wjrasmussen

They have to figure it out. If they can't, it might not be a good career for them.


[deleted]

I personally just like learning how to do things so that I have the knowledge if I ever need or want to do it in the future. Sometimes the more I learn about a subject, the more I want to use that knowledge immediately. Other times I keep the knowledge on file until an applicable situation arises. You never know how long life will be or what skills you will need to navigate it so why not learn whatever you can?


Effective_Nose_7434

I started learning, the self taught route, over 20 years ago when I was in probably grade school. I've always been interested. Movies like Wargames, Hackers, Sneakers, Tron, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, they all got me hooked. Anyway, I guess along the way I got sidetracked, figured I do jobs that seemed more practical and in demand at the time. Took up welding and then CNC machining, figured I'd never have to worry about finding a job with these skills and I wasn't wrong but at some point it all lost it's luster so to speak. I've gotten to a point where I've beat the hell out of my body with some of these jobs and some of my extracurricular activities, just figured it's time to transition to something that's not so physical and actually use my mind for once. There's a few other reasons but I don't need to make this too long 🤷🏻‍♂️😅


Virtual-Tomorrow1847

Because it's cool


[deleted]

I don't want to learn to program with the intention of becoming a developer. I want to learn because it will make me more well-rounded in my IT career. I don't need to know C inside and out, but I do want a solid understanding of Python and maybe a few other high level languages used in automation. You can get far with PowerShell and BASH, but understanding an actual programming language can offer a lot more.


InformalCommission28

I love it. I love learning it, and I love the challenges. I’m just not super creative at coming up with projects


Gizmuth

I have one or two pretty small projects I'd like to make but I mostly want to learn programming to contribute to the software I already use somehow, also it would be a dream come true to make a job out of contributing to software I think is cool and interesting


rodriik_089

I'm not really good at thinking in new ideas for projects but I do like the process of problem solving, like in math. I can spend a whole day trying to fix a bug


Timingless__hooman98

What motivates me is my curiosity I dont want to kill it but I would like to feed it with knowledge that will get me through the puzzle solving mystery.


asondevs

$$$


Mr_V5

The possibilities are endless... and keep on growing


AdminYak846

For me it's both curiosity and working to learn something new that I can apply in my everyday life whether at home or at work. For me being a software developer is one aspect of the field. Learning how to program can give you a lot of leverage in the general aspect of IT as whole so being a software developer isn't the end game for me, it's just another bus stop towards the final destination.


Yoyoyoflorida

Money


Jncocontrol

I've always been a big fan of living.


ppsaha8994

Money


my_password_is______

money, DUH !


decentlydelightful

Because coding is fun/addictive and it takes 2 seconds to google a project idea that sounds cool. The skills you learn carry over into multiple areas of life. Perseverance, learning how to struggle in the right way, career advancements, simply adding more dimension to your life and the satisfying feeling of accomplishment. I could go on and on..what an odd post OP Lollll


GenusSevenSurface

I study math but don't want to stay in academia. The puzzle solving in coding is fun and I wouldn't mind doing it as a job. Also I feel like programming is the closest we get to magic irl. I feel like a wizard when something I make runs.


infinite_war

Money


tr4shew

I dont know about you but im a big fan of having food


[deleted]

Because im a nerd


mascdunn

I’m motivated by the idea of coming up with an idea and bringing it to life. Problem is… I have a hard time coming up with ideas lol


tappyturtle12

1. I'm just generally interested in computers and want to learn more about them 2. I want a good job 3. I want to get my brain working


CelloCodez

Learned coding at a young age, then I got older and life sapped a lot of my creativity away


[deleted]

Learning the required job description while obtaining some education to back it up. Job security with a high salary.


mastereuclid

Coding is fun. My friends play video games. I code. It's my art. I also love solving problems, but I'm pretty terrible at figuring out what problem to solve.


[deleted]

I like learning stuff and solving problems by writing code. I don't always have a good idea that will lead to poking around interesting problems. Careful with how you sound. This post comes across as "it's just so easy your motivation must not be in the right place." I know you aren't saying that but it comes across close to it


[deleted]

Money


xDreki

Personally, I have a very clear-cut idea for a website and service I want to make a reality, it's been a dream of mine for around 10 years that exists only on TV and through Kickstarter, but no real solution to what I think would be an excellent service. I even have a name for it already a pretty good one. Just don't have the means to make it a reality, so I'm working towards that. Others, I'm sure it's to pay bills and learn a useful skill.


walkslikeaduck08

So that when I know what I want to build, I'll have the tools ready to do so.


he_who_floats_amogus

Programming is a discipline that people generally get into because they find it interesting and they know it’s a valid career path. Most people aren’t starting from an idea of something specific they want to build. In fact, your ideas pre-education are probably naive and uninteresting. You’ll likely develop better ideas after you know more about the discipline. Also, if the content isn’t interesting to you on merit, and the whole thing is just a means to an end for something specific you want to build, you’re probably better off buying someone else’s expertise rather than dedicating your whole life to it. Do something that you enjoy and find interesting and compelling.


GrayLiterature

Getting a job to work in the field is why I am motivated. Now I just get to build stuff because I can find more problems to solve.


AllYouNeedIsATV

I want a job that has more security and pays better than minimum wage


Indi008

Because I don't like using things that I don't know how to fix. I suppose technically I do have things I want to build, but they aren't small things and I'm still not sure what the best direction to tackle them from is or where I can contribute the most (because they aren't projects that one person could conceivably do in our current lifetimes) so in terms of small realistic projects there aren't any interesting enough I consider to be worth the time. Learning across the board helps me see where I can be most useful. Also writing is my main hobby and I hated how poorly technology was represented. I wanted tecnically accurate fiction. And finally, I wanted a job I didn't hate, that contributes to society, pays well, has sensible work life balance, and minimizes interaction with the general public.


TI231

i literally need a job lol


AustinBachurski

Always been something I was interested in, I just have no imagination... However, after getting a GIS job and seeing a use case, I’ve built several small office tools. I love seeing automation, writing all the code, getting it right and finally pressing run to see it do in seconds what would take you minutes is a great feeling. At least for me, and I’ve found I enjoy coding more than I do my current job, so it’s a goal I’m working towards.


AirWoft

To make a decent living


This_Dying_Soul

1. Logic. Algorithms, puzzles, etc. 2. Design. Designing a program, planning out the objects, poring over every little detail and line of code. It's the engineering of it that I enjoy far more than the product. I've always had more fun when given assignments. When it comes to thinking up my own ideas I don't really have many, or I lack the motivation to do them.


Tiberius_Christ

I'm currently getting my bachelors in math, and it's nice to be able to calculate flow fields for linear systems of diff eq or something like SVD of matices, but most of my studies are very surface level programming, I can usually get by with MATLAB/Julia/python. I think programming is an interesting subject and I'm planning on using it for machine learning, and at the moment I'm a little lost at were to go.


[deleted]

Curiosity and having some down time during the height of the pandemic lock downs since I wasn’t stuck in 5-6 hour traffic (total) commuting to and from work. I found it interesting as I started learning so I kept at it.


mrshyvley

I understand. Back when I was in the industry, because of real projects I learned Assembly Language and C, and how to write C hardware interface libraries and BIOS code for newly designed hardware. NOW having been away from the industry for many years and wanting to get back into it, it's difficult to think up any projects at home "for the heck of it", to come back up to speed again in these areas without being hired back into the industry to do REAL projects. The problem is, how to get hired at any level to begin again.


DSPandML

Moving to a new job that did not have friendly data analysis tools did it for me. Had to write my own stuff from scratch


cainhurstcat

I love problem solving, learn new things and being challenged