“I write emotional algebra.”
― Anais Nin
Last year, I had a chance to have a conversation over coffee with a lady whom I met at a language exchange event.
Being a language researcher, her knowledge about multiple forms of linguistic inquiry and analysis was truly remarkable. Not only did she mention natural languages such as English, but she also mentioned sign languages.
Having been keen on artificial languages, I mentioned my enthusiasm for programming languages. As I’ve got a position as a programmer, I would like to see how language researchers would react to languages that enable us to communicate with computers.
Despite my excitement for the topic, she just unexcitedly said “Well, that’s nerdy”.
Nerdy? Is that all impression she had for artificial languages? Really? Instantly, I lost my interest in engaging in the conversation and disappointed.
In the age of the Internet where we all are interlinked to each other regardless of nationalities, why do some people still underestimate the power of technologies despite the fact that they too take advantage of modern technologies?
And especially for a language researcher, why didn’t she have even a slight bit of interest in artificial languages? Considering her saying that a programming language is nerdy, she wouldn’t understand how powerful and fascinating an artificial language is and its relationship with natural languages, such as English.
When I say artificial languages, it generally includes not only programming languages, but also mathematics. Turning my focus on mathematics, it powers the fundamental basics of programming languages and computers in general.
Even though I’m not a cosmologist, I’ve heard multiple times that mathematics is the universal language. With mathematics, we, humans, can understand the basic construction of our home planet in the cosmos. Yes, we can explain the universe with mathematics. Some would argue that mathematics is a human invention. No. They misunderstand the fact that the logic behind mathematics itself is universal. The numbers we use are just human-readable symbols.
When I was a kid, I had horrible mathematical anxiety. I made every effort to avoid anything related to math, and obviously, my mathematical grade was embarrassingly low. But as I grew older and unexpectedly found a position in the IT industry, I learned the hard way that no one can survive this world without basic mathematical skills.
And especially after I’ve become a programmer two years ago, my relationship with artificial languages has become increasingly stronger than ever before. The reason I’ve started coding was more like a coincidence rather than a thoughtful decision and has been a love-hate story which, hopefully, will continue to develop into a love-only affair, though.
My first opportunity to dive into the computing world was a Chromebook I purchased with my own money almost ten years ago. A Chromebook is a laptop or tablet running the Linux-based Chrome OS as its OS. Being developed and maintained by Google, it made my commitment to the Google ecosystem along with Android-powered phones.
YouTube, Gmail, Google Map, and the list goes on and on. Not only do I use Google’s services in the online world, but my actual life is also already revolving around Google with its smart home products. With the magic key phrase, OK Google, my ceiling lights and monitors are under my voice control. My enthusiasm to expand my smart home ecosystem is almost unstoppable now.
Furthermore, Google even offers an environment to develop Android apps for us. As a Java developer, myself, I need to keep practicing coding constantly, and Android Studio, which is the official integrated development environment (IDE) for Google’s Android operating system, enables us to create Android apps. In other words, Android Studio is software that allows us to create Android apps, and it doesn’t require high specs for your laptop.
So, as I mentioned above, not only do I commit myself to Google’s ecosystem as a user, but also I take full advantage of Google’s platform to develop apps and practice coding. Additionally, if you have basic Javascript knowledge, you’d be able to automate your daily tasks on Google Spreadsheet, which is Goole’s version of Excel, and even your smart home tasks.
So, let’s turn our focus back on what the lady said about coding: nerdy. Only saying “Well, that’s nerdy” settles the big question. The computing world is immense, and once you commit yourself to the world, you’d be fell in love with its undeniable fascination.
All you need is a laptop, an Internet connection, and a tiny bit of curiosity to explore the computing world. Don’t be scared. I was there too and still am. I’ve become a Java developer almost two years ago. I’ve thought I shouldn’t have chosen the job countless times. But I’m still here.
Additionally, along with practicing coding, I’ve been dedicating myself to self-learning algebra for a couple of years now. With my 2-in-1 tablet, it’s almost my daily rituals. Again, just like coding, you’d be fell in love with the undeniable fascination of algebra and mathematics in general once you get the hack of it. They work just like puzzles, and you must have logically coherent solutions to solve the problems.
If you have a slight interest in developing your career in the tech industry, today is the start of the new chapter of your life. Let’s get started and have some fun! I’m also still in the process of my tech career development, so let’s grow together.
Across generations, what really matters is universally acceptable concepts. Mathematics. Programming. English. Just like NASA sent humans all the way to the Moon, our possibility is immense! Let mathematics and coding languages fuel your curiosity and always dream big!
Have a great day, boss!!
