Tuesday, April 24, 2012

code

I've always admired artists. There's something magical in their ability, their gift to transform their innermost thoughts and feelings into something communicable, and in doing so convey and transmit those feelings to others. A painter packs emotion into every stroke of his brush, a poet into every syllable she writes, a bassist into every little quiver of his fingers. That is beauty, the conversion of something so abstract as a chain of thought into something tangible, something of substance.

I began this post with the word 'admire', but I feel now that it should've been 'envy' instead. You see, when one doesn't have such an ability to communicate his feelings with the world, one does tend to turn green.

And that's where code comes in. It is the simple building block with which I try to translate the workings of my mind into a form that others could experience. It is the brush with which I hope to paint out my dreams, my hopes, and my desires. It is the platform on which I try to explore the meaning of life and the universe.

Code is not art. It would be arrogant and dismissive of real artists to call it that. But code is simply what it is; a cane to support the rest of us non-artists in our search for a means by which to express ourselves. So be careful before you move that curly brace, you could be treading on someone's hopes and dreams. :)

11 comments:

  1. Seems like you are getting burnt by languages and IDEs that were created for the production in code factories.

    Expressivity and mapping the mind to code depends a lot on the language and other tools you use such as the editor & platform.

    When you learn how to tame the beast and wipe off the dirt, code is indeed an art.

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  2. Haha, this was just a little something that came to me on a rainy day. The tools and languages itself weren't really what I was trying to talk about, but what programming as a whole means to me. :) But yeah, I agree. Code is art, in the hands of the right person. :D

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  3. For me art is whatever creation of imagination that's can arouse human emotions. I don't think we can classify which is real art and which is not.

    Like any other art form, path to be a successful programmer require lot of passion and practice.

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  4. Ok so Chavie boy, for an iT muggle, what's a code? :)

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  5. Lakshan - True, true. :D

    Saku - It's that (barely) human readable text that programmers sit looking at all day behind their screens. :D And when all the details are ironed out, and it's converted into machine language, it does all the magic you'd call "software". :)

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  6. As a non-techie, I know doodly squat about code. Am just commenting to ask how on earth I can leave a comment on your Google+ page...

    :S

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  7. Angel - I was just going to post another programming-related post and decided that this wasn't the time. :D

    Erm, to comment on a post I made you need a Google+ account, and to make a "wall post", well you can't really do that, you need to post something on your profile and tag me. :)

    Hope that helps.

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  8. Ah... so simply having a gmail account means we are second class citizens eh?

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  9. That's the first time I came across a thought like this :D...interesting...hmmm

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  10. You have redefined codes from a different perspective, spiced with a tinge of poetic essence. Cool indeed! :)

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  11. Angel - Google is being a big bully and forcing people to upgrade to Google+. If it were any other company, it would be a huge scandal, but Google being Google can get away with anything it seems. :/

    Hoot - Musings of a jobless soul. ;) LOL

    Harshi - Thank you! :D

    Thanks for the thoughts, guys! :D

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