As I was growing up, Mom often told me that life is a constant repeat. How often she told me was usually a factor of how much I complained about doing some routine chore. As usual Mom was right. However, not all that comes back around is necessarily bad. My love of writing is one example. Now, I’ve rekindled my interest in learning a "real" computer programming language.
For various reasons I chose Java a few years ago. Since then, it’s popularity and usefulness have grown even more. So once again my computer is sporting the NetBeans IDE (v6), a free, comprehensive developing environment offered by Sun, the creators of Java. I’ve also dusted off my highlighted copy of SAMS Teach Yourself Java 2 in 24 Hours. Totally immersing myself in Java culture, I discovered Sun’s employee blog page.
A quick browse reaffirmed my choice to learn Java. Thousands (yes, thousands!) of blogs contain a fountain of expected technical information. But more importantly, the human face of a technology giant emerged from the shadows. Interspersed with numerous mentions of acronyms I’m only vaguely familiar with, there was a post about a couple restoring a caboose in their backyard. Other topics included memorable bicycle rides, cricket matches, and quilt collecting.
Indeed the best thing about Sun’s employee blogs is the fact they’re written from different countries and offer a world view of technology, coding, and life in general. I shouldn’t be surprised; this eclecticism and inclusiveness is symbolic of the best open source ventures. These are real people, not just geeks. I’m looking forward to their enthusiasm spurring my commitment to learn.