There are a great many opinions about what makes great programmers:
- Joel Spoksky thinks that great programmers are smart people who get things done;
- Paul Graham seems to be saying that there is something innate about great hackers;
- Andrew Hunt and Dave Thomas offer 70 tips to help the journeyman on the path to becoming a master;
- Fred Brooks has said that programmers can learn good practice and can become great designers.
Whilst many of these opinions differ, one of the common themes that we continually hear is that great programmers need great tools. Fred Brooks devoted a full chapter of The Mythical Man-Month to the need for Sharp Tools
, and even suggested programming teams include a dedicated toolmaker. Joel Spolsky says that we should be using the best tools that money can buy
.
But it’s not enough to have access to the best tools. We must learn how to wield them with precision and expertise. That is what this blog and the accompanying book is all about.
In medieval times, the master craftsmen in a guild were obliged to pass on their knowledge to the apprentices. The best craftsmen knew that this was a two way process - they could learn much simply from the process of sharing the secrets of their trade.
Once an apprenticeship was completed, a craftsman became a journeyman. They would travel from one town to another to gain experience of different workshops, learning from as many different masters as possible.
It is our hope that we can build something here that will be useful to apprentices, journeymen, and master craftsman alike. A place for all to learn new skills and contribute to the discussion.
