Programming Achievements: How to Level Up as a Developer

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Programming Achievements: How to Level Up as a Developer

This gist is part of a blog post. Check it out at:

http://jasonrudolph.com/blog/2011/08/09/programming-achievements-how-to-level-up-as-a-developer

programming-achievements.md

Learn a variety of programming paradigms:

• Write a program in assembly language
• Write an application in a functional language
• Write an application in an object-oriented language
• Write an application in a prototype-based language
• Write an application in a logic programming language
• Write an application using the Actor model
• Write an application in Forth

Experience the ins and outs of programming for different platforms:

• Write a nontrivial web app - connector,
• Write a nontrivial desktop app - for ubuntu? - music app? mongodb viewer? zeromq viewer?
• Write a nontrivial mobile app - Achieved!
• Write an embedded app
• Write a realtime system

Enhance your understanding of the building blocks that we use as developers:

• Write a networking client (e.g., HTTP, FTP) -
• Write a device driver
• Write a B-tree database - In scala? Python?
• Wrap an existing library to provide a better (more pleasant) user experience
• Write an application or framework that provides a plugin model
• Write a testing framework
• Write a programming language

Enlighten yourself with koans, katas, and the wisdom of ages:

• Complete five code katas
• Complete the programming koans for a language that you want to learn
• Attend a code retreat
• Read SICP and complete all the exercises

Program in the open:

• Contribute to an open source project - diaspora? openblock?
• Have a patch accepted
• Earn commit rights on a significant open source project - Ubuntu related? Something I use and admire?
• Publish an open source project
• Perform a Refactotum of an open source project

Learn by teaching others:

• Present a lightning talk
• Present at a local user group
• Present at a conference
• Deliver a training course
• Publish a tutorial
• Publish a constructive code review of an open source project
• Write a programming book

Idea Dump

###From Hyperink###

• Advenjure Create a simple MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) text game in Javascript (coffee script, clojure script) which makes AJAX (JSON or XML) requests to a central server. For brownie points, generate a basic infinite map.

• Auto-meme Write a RESTful web service which takes a random image url, analyzes the image, and intelligently stamps it with appropriate, generated meme text.

• Hacker News Write a program which analyzes hacker news posts and determines common attributes of successful posts (topics, dates, events).

• Command Line Equalizer Write a command line tool which plays a song and streams its equalizer in ascii.

###From Me###

• Personal Command Center Write a program which aggregates email, calendar, core tasks into a focussed display. Bonus Points for drawing out relationships in the data (e.g. where is timing being spent, patterns/solutions for topics). (Use Context.io for getting cool and fancy with analysis of email)

• Use Twilio to Build a Funny Cats Text Message Game, Django on the server side

• Auto-Diary Write a Service which rings or texts a user each to help them compile a personal diary, analyse their entries and progressively build a mood/emotion diary

• Team Spirit Build a service which lets users provide messages of support of their group/team/organisation with a dashboard to view analytics, trends etc...

• Caliper Build a Web application for building decision models, collecting data, modelling uncertainty... Pretty much making performing AIE super easy, reliable and collaborative

• Crowd Noise Monitoring Android App integrated to Twilio, to record sound/noise levels at a concert/for a crowd/in an urban context, with location

• Instant Meeting Recording Instant meeting record to transcript and email to participants

• Workout Machine Android App for easily managing a set of workouts, providing a timer and tracking progress (e.g. Based on 'You are your own gym')

• Shelf Build a simple web app which lets you store inventory - define inventory templates, create inventory and track its allocation