Ask HN: Who has influenced you the most as a programmer/ professional?
Hi HN, I thought that it'd be fun to see who has been of great influence to you when it comes to programming/ your professional career, and why.
I'll give it a go first - for me it was David (he's currently building thunderclap.it). I met David about a year ago in a coffee shop and he introduced me to "the world of programming". I had dabbled in HTML and CSS before but never actually worked on a backend or a terminal.
David and I got the chance to meet about once or twice a week and we'd work on some cool Ruby/ RoR stuff. I can't express how much having his help during the first few weeks/ months made a difference. He helped me get over the initial "frustrations" that come when you're a beginner. He took the time to share his knowledge - and that made all the difference.
Note: To those looking to learn how to program I would HIGHLY recommend going to meetup groups and potentially finding a mentor/ code buddy. Once you get over the initial frustrations, the rest is pure learning and fun!
My father. Allow me to explain why.
In 1965 he shipped out to Vietnam. Rode some convoys, went into action. Saw his friends die. Almost died himself a couple of times. Came back in one piece. Studied and became a nurse (something that took guts from a man because it was considered a womans job). He then went to work at the local veterans hospital taking care of the same people he fought with. Fast forward a few years and he developed a very bad case of chronic asthma due to some chemicals used in a construction that was going on at the hospital he worked. He had to stop working. Developed some heart problems and almost died. He went on heavy medication, which ruined both of his hips. Surgery had to be done, and both hips were replaced (two surgeries). Doctors said it would be a miracle if he could walk properly again. He did. Fast forward a few more years and he got prostate cancer. Went into surgery and it came out well. He gets checked every few months but so far nothing. Its been about five years since that. Then he had to get hip surgery again on one side. Came out good and can walk. Again. He has gone through so much, yet he has never complained about a thing. Only saw him cry once when my brother died (on his arms). I figure that if I manage to do as well as he has then my life will not be in vain. For that, and for many other things he is the person who has influenced me the most. I would not have it any other way. That is why to this day I still wake up, put on my war face and go out to kick some serious ass. He taught me to never quit. I don't. That is why I always ship out my projects. He taught me to get shit done no matter what.
Niklaus E. Wirth, Per Brinch Hansen, and Donald E. Knuth