There is a big set of posts about this issue lately. From Ayende's Can you learn to program better? and What can make a great programmer? to Phil Haack and his Better Programming By Programming Better to Jeff Atwood and his How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming and many others...Well, they are all great developers and they all give us a great view for what is a great developer and how can you become one(or realize that you already are, for that matter). I like the way Jeff sums it up:" You won't-- you cannot-- become a better programmer through sheer force of programming alone. You can only complement and enhance your existing programming skills by branching out. Learn about your users. Learn about the industry. Learn about your business. "
I agree with all of them about the HUGE leap each great developer should take from being a good developer into a great developer. Not many have done it, although I believe that many more can. I'm not sure if you heard about Ron Clark, his story is an amazing demostration of true passion to bring the best out of people. Ron managed to take a bunch of kids from Harlem, those that no one believe in them, and make them one of the best classes in the US. In his first lesson, he wrote on his board: "Dream Big! Take Risks!". He manged to direct his students with his 55 rules and teach them how to become a great human beings before everything else. It's a story about how to get everyone around you excited, driven to extract the very best out of themselves.
In my point of view, great developers are the one that really into code because they love it and because they want to make the rest of us guys better. They possess Ron's Passion to make everything better. The software they are building and the guys that are involved in doing it.
I tried to come up with my "rules" that helped me progress and influence others in the last 7 years:
Good luck, I know you can make it.
Disclaimer The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in any way.
© Copyright 2010, Oren Ellenbogen
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