Why I Love Coding: A Software Engineer's Reflection

Today, I want to talk about something that's close to my heart—coding. You know, it's easy to forget why we love what we do, especially when we're neck-deep in deadlines and stress. But sometimes, a single experience can remind us why we chose this path in the first place. So, let me take you through a recent bug-fixing adventure that reminded my passion for coding.

The Bug That Almost Blocked Our Release

So, picture this: I'm at work, and suddenly, a critical bug was assigned to me. This wasn't just any bug; it was a "blocking incident," meaning if it wasn't fixed ASAP, our entire release would be halted. No pressure, right?

I dove in headfirst and spent two full days—yeah, you read that right, 16 hours—just to figure out the fix. And guess what? The actual fix was just four lines of code. Four. Lines. But getting to that point? that was a journey.

The Joy of the Journey

You might think spending two days on a bug sounds like a nightmare, but it reminded me why I fell in love with coding in the first place. I mean, I've always been fascinated by how things work. As a kid, I loved playing video games, and I was super curious about how they were coded. That curiosity eventually led me to computer science and, well, here I am today, still loving the process.

The Human Element in Coding

One thing that struck me during this bug-fixing saga was the importance of the human element. I had to sift through tons of official Microsoft documentation, which, ironically, didn't help me at all. What did help was an example from another developer who had implemented the same thing. But even that wasn't perfect.

You see, a package had been upgraded, causing a failure. There was no documentation about this breaking change. I had to reach out to the team responsible for the change and ask them, "Hey, why'd you do this? It's blocking our deployment!"

AI Isn't Taking Our Jobs—Yet

This whole experience got me thinking about the role of AI in software engineering. I mean, sure, AI is getting smarter, but it's not there yet. It can't replace the nuanced understanding and problem-solving skills that a human brings to the table. Maybe someday we'll be debugging AI instead of websites, but for now, software engineers aren't going anywhere.

Wrapping Up

So, there you have it, my two-day, 16-hour journey through a bug fix that reminded me why I love coding. It's not just about writing lines of code; it's about solving puzzles, connecting with people, and continually learning. And let's be real, as long as there are bugs to fix (and there always will be), software engineers have job security.

Until next time, keep coding, keep debugging, and most importantly, keep loving what you do.

Peace out! ✌️