As I was editing my new book Practical Node.js, 2nd Edition, I found a few recurring mistakes that my publisher’s editor was correcting. I wrote over dozen of books but I still don’t know some of English grammar. Do you know some of these tricky rules?

• Front-end app vs. frontend
• Which vs. that
• While vs. whereas
• May vs. might
• Login vs log in

Front-end is an adjective while frontend is a noun. For example, “I build front-end systems”, but “I work on the frontend”.

Which needs comma and it is less important than that, which is used without a comma. The which clause can be removed but the that one cannot be removed without the loss of the meaning. For example, “I like Node.js, which is JavaScript on the server”, but “Create a file that starts the Koa server”.

While and whereas are similar when you contrast two things, but whereas is a bit more formal (and less used in spoken language). While can be used for timing but whereas cannot. For example, “window is a global variable in browsers while/whereas global is in Node”, but “When it’s noisy in cafes, I write code while listening to Spotify”.

May has more probability than might. For example, “I may go to Japan next quarter”, but “I might quit Node.js and move to Denmark to study Artificial Intelligence”.

Finally, login is a noun and log in is a verb. For example, “Implement login using OAuth 2.0”, but “You need to log in to AWS console as admin first and only then create a new user”.

There are multiple ways how software engineers can achieve a successful career. Some can be early employees at Google while others can be a life-long employees of IBM. Some can build side projects while other can get equity. But there are only five common habits and traits:

1. LEARN: Find balance between learning and doing. Have a solid knowledge of fundamentals either from college degrees or from educating yourself with books and online courses. Constantly apply your knowledge to practice.
2. WORK: Find balance between productivity and rest. Consistency in productivity is better than burnout.
3. CONTRIBUTE: Learn the business side of things. Produce highly valuable products which are useful for customers and beneficial for the business.
4. INNOVATE: Invest in a forward-thinking technology that a reasonable person would expect to become more in demand and desirable over tie.
5. THINK LONG-TERM: Treat others with respect, honestly and fairly. Think and act long-term. Contribute to open source or teach because it helps you and others.

Hello everyone! In this post, I want to contrast the terms with which other people and we ourselves call us. There are a lot of confusion around the names for our trade. People use terms such as software engineer, software developer. Some people even use programmer or coder, etc., etc. And some event go as far as ninja, guru, or rock star. So let’s take a look at the differences. Of course, it’s all just my opinion but I’ve been in this industry for 15 years. I know a bit or two. So let’s go ahead.

Continue reading “Programmer vs. Software Engineer vs. Software Developer vs. Coder”

Let’s start from the smallest to the biggest five reasons why programming and software development is awesome.

The reason number 5 (smallest) is programming can pay really well. The average income in the USA is somewhere along $50K per year per household. Programmers typically starts their careers with $80K/year salaries. In major metro areas the salaries are way higher than that. They can easily be in the $120–150K/year range.

The reason number 4 is that you are never bored. There’s always something new. Sometimes new technologies come out before you even release your product. Thus, you are never out of things to learn and update. A lot of people are bored out of their minds at their jobs. Most of them perform the same mundane tasks for 5, 10, 15 years… Not you. Lucky you! Programmers can always grow, learn and master the skills by learning and seeking more challenging problems and solving them.

The reason number 3 is that it’s a real career. Some jobs are not careers. Avoid them. For example, a taxi or an Uber/Lyft driver will always be a driver. A Denny’s waitress will always be a waitress even after 40 years at her job. It’s a dead end. Avoid it. A lot of programmers start as junior developers/engineers, then they progress to associate developers. This could happen in as short as two (2) years. After that, some of them are promoted to senior developers in as short as 3–4 years. That’s not all. The path continues to principal, staff engineer, architect, manager, director, vice president of engineering and to CTO. A lot of tech companies have engineers as their senior leaders, e.g., Microsoft, Google, etc.

Continue reading “5 Reasons Programming is Awesome”

Does someone have to be a genius to be a programmer? It definitely helps but only if the person is NOT afraid of hard work. You see, a lot of smart people are compelled by challenging and tough problems. They want to solve complex issues.

Continue reading “Hardworking vs Genius Programmers”

Are programmers born or made? It depends. In 2010s, programming is so much easier than it used to be in 2000s. More and more gurus and dev bootcamp founders proclaim that programmers can be made.

I won’t say programmers are made. My answer: it depends. Instead of thinking programmers are made, utilize whatever belief is more useful to you.

If you are starting on the programming path later in your life as a second (or third, or fourth) career choice, then thinking programmers are born is detrimental! Why would you do such a thing?

Think and truly believe that programmers are made, if you want to succeed as a programmer. That’s because every time you encounter an issue, you’ll be inclined to work through it when you think that NOW you are a programmer.

On the contrary, you will be more successful thinking programmers are born, if you has been programming from your teens and programming is the only career you ever had. The reason is when you encounter a problem, you’ll be forced to find a solution because that’s what you do. You are a programmer and alway was. You have to come up with the answer because you are a programmer. You’ll value your job and think it’s your missing to write great software, because you won a lucky lottery.

If we dig deeper, programmer are not born. No one in the hospital looks at a child and says “congratulations, that’s a programmer”, “you are luckliy, that’s a QA engineer”, “sorry, that’s a designer”. No. Most likely it’s a dumb luck. The kid got a computer as an early age and tried programming and liked it. Then he got more experience and made himself into a programmer. So born is actually made just at an earlier age.

In any case, think and believe whatever is more useful to you in your career and life. Not what someone else tells you.