Recently I sat down and chatted with Ben Johnson, a developer friend of mine, about the workflows we have as developers. It was a very interesting chat, and he graciously agreed to let me post it here.
Justin@iswapyoublog: Who are you, and what do you do?
Ben: My name is Ben Johnson. I’m a 22 year programmer and I run a company named “Hapa Worldwide” which specializes in content management systems.
What development softwares do you use normally, and which are your favorites?
I don’t use too many libraries. I used to use packaged development environments and things like XAMMP, but whenever I ran into trouble with them, I had difficulty troubleshooting exactly what the problem was. Now when I do development it is really bare bones. The only things I have installed are PHP, MySQL, Apache II and ImageMagic. When I test MySQL queries I enter them directly into the terminal. I’m starting to do AJAX now, and it seems like I’ll start using some libraries so we’ll see how this answer changes in the next few months.
Do you ever get a sort of “coders block”, like a writer might get a “writers block”?
Yes… I do, but for reasons exactly the opposite of why writers get writer’s block. I started really getting into computer programming because I like thinking about problems and imagining ways to solve them. I love the feeling of getting a fresh problem and just working it over through my head, trying to find a solution. When I figure out the solution, I get coder’s block because the fun part’s over and all that is left is sitting down to write the code.
I think this is the opposite of what happens to writers because they are usually stuck with not knowing how to write something as aesthetically pleasing as they would like. For me it is the exact opposite, when I know how to write something and all that is left is to sit down and type it into the computer, thats when I get stuck because its not as fun as thinking about the problem.
To get over my coder’s block, I make a checklist of what is left to code and try to get through the checklist as quickly as possible. Coding isn’t as much fun as thinking, but it is an indispensable part of the process.
Have you tried other things like changing up your dev environment, experimenting with new libraries and such? As a coder myself, sometimes this helps me.
I never really change my development environment too often, I guess it goes back to my initial experience with having things break on me and not knowing how to fix them. I tend to stick with what I’ve got and try to trudge through it.
Ah. Yeah, I see how that could save your skin in a lot of cases. On a slightly different note – “web 2.0″ sites are still kind of a big deal, even though it looks like the buzzword might be fading a bit. What are your favorite web 2.0 sites?
Yes. I think the buzz is finally dying down. I’m not sure exactly what to call a Web 2.0 site and one that isn’t, mostly because people have such conflicting definitions of what Web 2.0 truly means. Some people stick to a strict definition that Web 2.0 is an emphasis on data abstraction using XML to truly separate content from form and allow for sites to exchange information and users to create content without knowing anything about programming.
If you stick to this definition, then I’d have to say iGoogle is my favorite, because it was the first aesthetically appealing and mainstream application that allows ordinary web surfers to use RSS and similar innovations to put everything that they like together in one place. It was the first useful thing that was so simple I could teach my mom how to use it. If you move to a broader definition of Web 2.0, one that allows for robust web applications and gives room for focus on user experience, then I’d have to say Meebo is my favorite site.
iGoogle definitely is a cool app. Have you tried any of the competitors, like Pageflakes?
Nope.
Cool. Not much different as far as i’ve seen, no one has really improved much on that UI content yet… Like taking it 3d or something… What in your opinion is the worst web 2.0 design?
Hmm. The worst Web 2.0 design?
Yeah. Absolutely horrible. A site you can’t stand to look at or use.
Let me think..
I’ll tell you right now… mine is myspace post-Fox acquisition. It looks like they just keep piling stuff on that thing and it might explode any day now… It’s like a Web 2.0 garbage dump.
Yeah I was going to say MySpace but wasn’t sure if that was too indicative of Web 2.0… It is definitely MySpace.
Glad we’re in agreement on that one. Rupert Murdoch, call us! Any final words for aspiring web developers?
If you’re considering a career in web development, go for it. There has never been a time when ordinary individuals have been empowered to make fundamental changes in the way people work and interact. Startup costs are minimal, talent and passion rule the day. It is a wonderful time to be young.
Muchos gracias to Ben Johnson for the interview op. If you need a web development company that specializes in custom CMS with very reasonable prices, don’t hesitate to contact Ben at:
benjamin.katsuo.john
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