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1. Programming does not exist in a vacuum
We are programming a machine and we are using programs written by others before us to write, compile, and execute our programs. To do this for any system one must understand the requirements and mechanics of that system, like APIs etc, to make our programs run and usable on that system. I am absolutely certain that to be a good programmer one needs to understand the environment in and for which one is programming, just as much as one understands the programming syntax itself. This is why programmers who learn the profession in school also learn computer sciences, boolean logic, and algorithms etc., and often either strictly via Linux or Windows or a mix of both, depending on the school's choices.
Also, modern systems became so complicated that older systems are good stepping stones towards understanding newer systems. The newer ones were built off of their predecessors. This is why I do not study, for example the Atari or the Amiga systems, which i love more than Windows and Linux, due to nostalgia (and because I like niche things), or why I do not study for example Pascal as a programming language, which I find especially interesting. The reason is that, contrary to my examples, older windows and C continue to exist within the newer systems, while the ones I formerly mentioned are not used anymore professionally at all. In this way almost nothing that I currently learn, is not useful for modern computing.
I agree that my approach, the perfectionist approach, might take a little bit more time, than if I would simply use Windows 11, learn Python, for example, and learn how to create purely front-end programs that do not require understanding what is under the hood. But then I would not be a true programmer imo.. I would just be useful in a small part of the economy as a chicken without a head, creating stuff that has functionality but without actually knowing what I am doing, and then I would not be able to pick up other aspects of IT without having to learn again, anyhow. Such programmers might end up in one corner and never move from there, since they can pay their bills by working from 9 to 5 and call it a day. Now, in fact, in the IT sector, in these days, I think this approach is rather difficult to sustain, because the technology is evolving all the time. A programmer who understands computing in-depth will get selected over programmers who only know one thing.
2. Programming is not only a technical skill, it is also a form of art
Meaning that passion goes a long way and makes the difference. A passionate programmer will get better jobs and be paid more, where as the programmer who just does the job from 9-5 to pay his bills will get a job when he gets lucky and then get stuck in a low paying simplistic programming task for the rest of his life. I met a guy here who studied programming. He knows hardly how to write his own programs. What he does is testing programs written by others and then report the bugs he finds to other programmers who fix the bugs. I felt clearly that this person felt insecure about his knowledge when I asked him deeper questions. And he went to school for a couple of years for this! (and paid fees etc). For me, I want none of this. I learn by myself and I am learning fast. I learn horizontally because I try to get an answer to every question that arises, and I solve every problem I encounter, instead of just using Windows 11 and an easy IDE and do Python to create something to show on the screen, while not understanding what Python does with the computer.
3. Ethics: Windows 10, 11 and recent MS products in general are a NO GO (the same applies to Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta, etc.)
If you meant with newer systems: newer Windows, then the ethical aspect arises: Microsoft is an accomplice in genocide. Using Windows 11 helps MS's profit, through the telemetry if you do not buy anything, and through anything you do buy: office 365, One Drive etc. We then also basically tell other people: just use Windows, we have no choice.
To me we become partners in genocide if we do that. Indirectly MS's money and knowledge are murdering people every day. This makes it absolutely impossible to use Windows 10/11 Just like I am vegetarian because I do not want to cause suffering to animals, I refuse to provide MS with money and justification to keep committing to criminal conduct. If we only think about our own situation and use the false argument that we have no choice, we are partners in murder, it is as simple as that. Do we have a choice not to kill? Should we choose to help murder because we have no time or no alternative? I do not think that is a reasonable consideration, ever.
Of course one could use Linux, that is also new, but I can tell you, right off the bat, that also Linux requires more time, if you use it for programming, than modern Windows, because Linux requires you to understand what you are doing and expects you to put some effort to learn.
Programming, is not just programming. Better to say it is just a part of 'computing', and the programmer has to become one with the ecosystem in which he / she programs, if he / she wants to be REAL.
If you see how much time I invest into computing / programming then I still defeat those programmers who only do python on Windows 11, in terms of speed, simply because I invest more hours over the day than many of those people, who most of the time also have social time, time for entertainment . etc. I almost ONLY do IT.
I believe that my fanaticism will surely pay off - once I am ready.
We are programming a machine and we are using programs written by others before us to write, compile, and execute our programs. To do this for any system one must understand the requirements and mechanics of that system, like APIs etc, to make our programs run and usable on that system. I am absolutely certain that to be a good programmer one needs to understand the environment in and for which one is programming, just as much as one understands the programming syntax itself. This is why programmers who learn the profession in school also learn computer sciences, boolean logic, and algorithms etc., and often either strictly via Linux or Windows or a mix of both, depending on the school's choices.
Also, modern systems became so complicated that older systems are good stepping stones towards understanding newer systems. The newer ones were built off of their predecessors. This is why I do not study, for example the Atari or the Amiga systems, which i love more than Windows and Linux, due to nostalgia (and because I like niche things), or why I do not study for example Pascal as a programming language, which I find especially interesting. The reason is that, contrary to my examples, older windows and C continue to exist within the newer systems, while the ones I formerly mentioned are not used anymore professionally at all. In this way almost nothing that I currently learn, is not useful for modern computing.
I agree that my approach, the perfectionist approach, might take a little bit more time, than if I would simply use Windows 11, learn Python, for example, and learn how to create purely front-end programs that do not require understanding what is under the hood. But then I would not be a true programmer imo.. I would just be useful in a small part of the economy as a chicken without a head, creating stuff that has functionality but without actually knowing what I am doing, and then I would not be able to pick up other aspects of IT without having to learn again, anyhow. Such programmers might end up in one corner and never move from there, since they can pay their bills by working from 9 to 5 and call it a day. Now, in fact, in the IT sector, in these days, I think this approach is rather difficult to sustain, because the technology is evolving all the time. A programmer who understands computing in-depth will get selected over programmers who only know one thing.
2. Programming is not only a technical skill, it is also a form of art
Meaning that passion goes a long way and makes the difference. A passionate programmer will get better jobs and be paid more, where as the programmer who just does the job from 9-5 to pay his bills will get a job when he gets lucky and then get stuck in a low paying simplistic programming task for the rest of his life. I met a guy here who studied programming. He knows hardly how to write his own programs. What he does is testing programs written by others and then report the bugs he finds to other programmers who fix the bugs. I felt clearly that this person felt insecure about his knowledge when I asked him deeper questions. And he went to school for a couple of years for this! (and paid fees etc). For me, I want none of this. I learn by myself and I am learning fast. I learn horizontally because I try to get an answer to every question that arises, and I solve every problem I encounter, instead of just using Windows 11 and an easy IDE and do Python to create something to show on the screen, while not understanding what Python does with the computer.
3. Ethics: Windows 10, 11 and recent MS products in general are a NO GO (the same applies to Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta, etc.)
If you meant with newer systems: newer Windows, then the ethical aspect arises: Microsoft is an accomplice in genocide. Using Windows 11 helps MS's profit, through the telemetry if you do not buy anything, and through anything you do buy: office 365, One Drive etc. We then also basically tell other people: just use Windows, we have no choice.
To me we become partners in genocide if we do that. Indirectly MS's money and knowledge are murdering people every day. This makes it absolutely impossible to use Windows 10/11 Just like I am vegetarian because I do not want to cause suffering to animals, I refuse to provide MS with money and justification to keep committing to criminal conduct. If we only think about our own situation and use the false argument that we have no choice, we are partners in murder, it is as simple as that. Do we have a choice not to kill? Should we choose to help murder because we have no time or no alternative? I do not think that is a reasonable consideration, ever.
Of course one could use Linux, that is also new, but I can tell you, right off the bat, that also Linux requires more time, if you use it for programming, than modern Windows, because Linux requires you to understand what you are doing and expects you to put some effort to learn.
Programming, is not just programming. Better to say it is just a part of 'computing', and the programmer has to become one with the ecosystem in which he / she programs, if he / she wants to be REAL.
If you see how much time I invest into computing / programming then I still defeat those programmers who only do python on Windows 11, in terms of speed, simply because I invest more hours over the day than many of those people, who most of the time also have social time, time for entertainment . etc. I almost ONLY do IT.
I believe that my fanaticism will surely pay off - once I am ready.
