SLOG Post #1 - Why Should Geeks Write?

January 22 2015

I think it's important for geeks to write because writing is an essential form of communication between human beings: it's one of the most basic ways that we communicate our ideas to others. In fact, I personally see programming as a form of "writing" as it allows us to instruct and interact with machines.

Programming and the written word have much in common. Like programming, writing was once confined to the educated elites and intellects. But as the complexity of our societies grew, the ability to read and write became more and more accessible to the masses. Most developed countries have literacy rates above 95%, and the people who are denied access to this fundamental means of communication are at an insurmountable disadvantage.

The same can be said for mathematics, the language of logic. In the past, only the philosophers and stonemasons were able to communicate with math, but now it is an essential part of our daily lives. Driving, taxes, home renovations, cooking, living expenses... all require at least a basic level of numerical knowledge. Furthermore, most young people today have some understanding of more advanced concepts in math, like calculus and vectors. As a society, our fluency in math is increasing with every generation.

I am of the opinion that programming is the next form of communication that will become mainstream. Only 40 years ago, this language was limited to the geekiest of geeks: the mathematicians and telecom engineers and university professors (kidding!). Nowadays, programming has moved from being ultra-geeky to something that’s pretty normal, and kind of cool. Digital technology plays a huge role in our lives today, and being able to manipulate and improve the machines that we interact with is becoming more and more important. It's only a matter of time before children in kindergarten are being taught the difference between integers and floats, to complement their lessons on addition and the ABC's.

There are also many practical reasons for a programmer to have good writing skills. We often need to complement our computer code with written explanations, in the form of docstrings or #comments, so that other humans can understand what we are doing and why we are doing it. More complex programs might even require a manual or report that goes into greater detail. Furthermore, many writing skills,  such as checking for spelling/grammar errors and editing to improve clarity/conciseness, are also very important for coding. 

Fundamentally, programming and writing (and mathematics) are all different ways of expressing ideas. Sure, they each have their formats and required skillsets, but they all contribute to our ability to communicate. Just because programming is a newer form doesn’t make it better or worse than the others: all forms of communication are important, and it is for this reason that I believe that geeky programmers should also be competent writers.