Skills

I have been at this stuff for awhile, yet I still don't have any idea what part of programming I am best at. I always keep my interests in finding a need for a piece of software that could be useful, at least to someone. My most successful projects began as programs that I had a need for personally. Programming is not as simple as understanding the logic and syntax, you have to have the ideas and enthusiasm to complete a project all the way until it is finished. The hierarchy in picking a career path does not end once you decide to be a programmer: there are so many aspects within the programming world that you may never experience.

It seems that video game programming is the most well known, as far as I have noticed; it is also a very diverse segment in itself. It is very difficult to create a game by yourself. An individual cannot get things done as quickly as a group. An individual cannot be talented in as many areas as a group. What exactly would you do as a game programmer? It is about more than writing the code; a game requires many different types of programming to be successful:

· Logic programming to control the aspects of the game that are not static. Things like gravity, sprites, and projectiles.

· Network programming to allow for online multiplayer connections.

· Graphics programming to maximize graphical performance and have the best graphics.

· Interfacing programming so that the awesome code that was written can be used easily and fully by the user.

· And several more could easily be included.

So my point? My point is that being a programmer is like being a piece in a puzzle. While you may have the power to create applications on a small scale that doo amazing things, your power can be exponentially greater in a team of individuals with individual talents. You have to be able to work on your own or in a team. There are times when you will need to do both in order to succeed.

Even with the projects that I have worked on, I have had the help and support of other people who share an interest in the project. It is amazing how the internet allows people to come together to create something. Even if someone doesn’t have the experience to write code, they can be instrumental in helping create a great program because they have insight from a different aspect then you might have. Your program could do everything and clean the dishes, but if it is hard to use no one will want to use it.