Something I often find with games like Dominion, is that it seems to attract a lot of computer programmers. We programmers like to challenge ourselves to find elegant solutions to difficult programs and Dominion provides a way to do just that.
To us, programming is almost like poetry and the cleaner the algorithm, the better we feel about it.
So I decided to create this topic for general programming chit chat.
Are you a programmer?
Is it your job or just a hobby?
What kind of programming do you do?
Are you working on any exciting projects?
I'll start off.
I've been a professional (employed) programmer for almost 4 years now and in that period of time I've worked on a wide variety of projects with a wide variety of programming languages. In the early days of my working life I used a language called "Progress OpenEdge". This is a language you will only find in businesses who have been using their homemade software for a long time. It's rarely used for new projects. For me it was quite a switch as I had learned Java at university, but I picked it up quite easily.
After a couple of years, I started specializing myself in C# and .NET as I like those best. I like working with Visual Studio and I'm a Windows guy. I don't have anything against Apple or Linux, I've just used Windows my entire life and feel comfortable with it so I don't feel a need to switch over. Besides, a lot of companies we do business with use Windows and Windows applications, so it's easier for me to use it as well. And I don't have anything against Java, but like I said, I just wandered in the C# direction. If more of our clients would have demanded Java applications, I might as well have gone with Java.
Recently, I got my Microsoft certificate signed by Steve Balmer himself which says I am a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist when it comes to .NET 4.0 Windows Development. I'm very proud of this achievement, although I doubt its value. It looks nice on your resume, but doesn't say much about your day to day programming skills. The certification, in my view, just says how good you can learn from a book and do practice exams. I'm studying for my next certificate which is Windows Communication Foundation and hope to end up as a Microsoft Certified Professional Developer for the Windows platform.
With the new technologies arriving in the form of Windows 8, .NET 4.5 and the move towards more mobile devices and more targets for applications, I may make a similar move in the near future. I like to stay on top of current and future technologies. Not just because it increases my position in the market, but also because new technologies are a keen interest of mine.
Currently I'm working on programming the software for an embedded computer to be used in taxis. A law has been passed in the Netherlands specifying that all taxis should have this computer. Lucky for me, the company where I do this is only 5 minutes from my house.