I am by no means a “web developer“, however I have spent a significant amount of my time this year building web applications for my company.
I am by no means a “lego designer“, however I have spent a significant amount of my time this year building whatever my son asked me to build.
Through these two experiences I have learned that they are both very similar.
It starts with an idea; something that catches my attention, something useful or productive, or just fun.
From there I begin building, but rarely is the building linear. A piece here, a piece there, a section at a time, the building begins.
Building takes time, and during that time I always come up with enhancements and ways to make it better. The scope changes and grows but it is usually for the better.
Of course, even when the project is incomplete, I start thinking about how it looks. I smooth out the rough edges, inspect the symmetry, and makes sure it moves the way I want it to.
Eventually I begin looking at security; making sure the project won’t break, or be broken into. I test it again and again, and I get other people to look at it.
I take a lot of joy knowing that I’m creating something. That’s a little different than a typical System Administrator responsibility, and it is something I’m thankful I have the opportunity for. Whether it’s a line-of-business application that will be used by my entire company, or a 2 foot robot my 5 year old will play with for 30 minutes before destroying; it is a lot of fun.
