Letter to a young programmer

October 24, 2013 — originally posted on Neopythonic

Dear (insert name here),

I heard you enjoy a certain programming language named Python. Programming is a wonderful activity. I am a little jealous that you have access to computers at your age; when I grew up I didn't even know what a computer was! I was an electronics hobbyist though, and my big dream was to build my own electronic calculator from discrete components. I never did do that, but I did build several digital clocks, and it was amazing to build something that complex and see it work. I hope you dream big too -- programmers can make computers (and robots!) do amazing things, and this is a great time to become a programmer. Just imagine how much faster computers will be in five or ten years, and what you will be able to do with your skills then!

--Guido van Rossum (inventor of Python)

Comments (17)

martins — October 27, 2013

Great!

VIRENDRA RAJPUT — October 27, 2013

Thanks Guido!

imbenzene — October 27, 2013

God Bless.

Adnan K — October 27, 2013

Thanks.

Anonymous — October 27, 2013

Feeling great as a programmer. Thanks

asegoviae — October 27, 2013

Thank you, Guido.

Anonymous — October 27, 2013

I feel and think like you. You did (and do) your best, and you're openning doors for new programing, inovation, young generation. Now, you're more than that dreamer boy (building circuits): you allow minds to build more than circuits, without no limits, with the Python's power. As someone wrote: God bless you ! Thanks so much for your contribution for all of us !

Anonymous — October 27, 2013

Thanks,
Our university added python as one of the coding languages languages this year. Luckily I was in the new syllabus batch and I'm enjoying learning and coding in it very much.

I am still at extremely elementary programs, but only a few after a few weeks after I started python, I was able to implement a min/max heap all by myself in it!

about this letter,

Thanks, it is extremely inspiring!

Anonymous — October 27, 2013

Thanks for creating such an AWESOME language!

Another Sky — October 28, 2013

THANK YOU FOR PYTHON

Anonymous — October 28, 2013

Thank You. :)

Anonymous — October 28, 2013

I am also an EE undergraduate. I got my computer in 2011. I sometimes think I am late. But at the same time I realize that I am luckier than many those who can't afford even a cellphone.

Very soon I am going to learn Python too. Thank you for giving us an awesome language.

ketut.web.id — October 28, 2013

Thank You

Voyager Electronics — October 28, 2013

thank you sir. :)

LordCake — October 28, 2013

That's great! Now make lambdas longer than one statement. Kthx.

Eko — November 03, 2013

Thank you Guido! You make me feels like 14th year old boy again!

Python is such an amazing environment to work and live with!

Giampaolo Rodola — November 16, 2013

This is a great post which I enjoyed.