Why geeks should write

Q:How many programmers does it take to change a lightbulb? A: That’s a hardware problem. Now that I've broken the ice, let's get to the bacon and beans of the subject As someone very interested in writing, there are a lot of things I could do which employ both computer science and writing. I could choose to be a tech writer. I could publish the first book in computer science written entirely in verse. I could research artificial creativity. I could make an app that does your writing homework for you- without plagiarizing. But do I think people who don't already enjoy writing should invest their time in picking it up as a skill or hobby? Absolutely. In computer science, the mastery of any mental skill can be turned into an asset. As Joel Spolsky points out, writing, however, helps develop a multitude of them; from effective communication to critical thinking. These are skills that might someday be important when getting your ideas across to many people, be it in a board meeting or TED talk, or climbing up the company ladder. Another reason is that com-sci is a lot about solving problems - and some problems may be recurring ones. Writing a debug journal may be beneficial to both the writer and other people in the future, as few of the course readings cover in depth. Lastly, computer science is vast, and mastery of something vast needs organization and recognition of small victories. Keeping written track of one's progress can be a great motivator and organization tool. With that aside, I strangely find a lot of parallels between literature and programming, especially with the rules of short stories and poetry, but that's the material for another blogpost. Stay Tuned!