On the Wings of Hope : Prose

The Knight of Programming doesn’t change his decisions. Before starting a new project he indulges himself in continuous reflections - estimates degree of own readiness, a measure of responsibility, own debt before a team. Trying to keep composure, he laboriously studies each step - as if everything depends on it. But when the decision is being accepted - the Knight moves forward carelessly: he doesn’t have doubts in correctness of the choice made by him, and, even if circumstances appear to developed not the way he has predicted, the Knight does not turn off from selected road. And if his decision was right, he wins a victory in a fight - even if it becomes longer that he thought it would. And if the decision was erroneous, he will suffer a defeat and be compelled to make a new start - but this time fully armed with bitter expertise.

The Knight of Programming, having once started writing code, goes up to the end. The Knight knows that best instructors are those men with whom he writes code in one team each and every day.

It’s dangerous to ask to advice. A hundred times more dangerous it is to give it. When the Knight requires help, first and foremost he tries to understand how other workmates behave in similar difficult situations - why do they write or why they don’t. Having tired or being left alone with machine, he is not carried far away to distant perspectives, but searches for those close to him and aspires to make them a reality.

The Knight of Programming knows - the smallest and unknown to everyone program one day can be the one required by millions.

The Knight of Programming divides his world with programs he loves. And in those minutes when he is selflessly giving himself to creativity, the Enemy comes with tablets in hands. On the first table it’s written: “First of all think of yourself. Your programs are your intellectual property. Try to sell them as expensively as possible”. On the second the Knight reads the following words: “Who are you truly to write great things? Don’t you even see how small and insignificant is all those written by you?” But the Knight, even though he agrees with words, written there, throws those tablets to the ground, and they are scattered in ashes. And the Knight still inspires himself and his companions.

At times the Knight remembers one of the legends, transferred from one generation to another by Knights of Programming:

Once upon a time the teacher was passing by the student. The teacher noticed that attention of the student is absorbed by a pocket computer game. “Excuse me”, - he told, - “may I look at it?” The student was distracted from a game and gave it to the teacher. “I see that there are three levels of game: Easy, Average and Hard”, - told the teacher, - “yet each such device contains one more level of game when it aspires neither to win, nor to be defeated”. “I beg you, oh great teacher”, - the student asked, - “how can I find that mysterious level?” The teacher dropped device on the ground and crushed it with feet. And suddenly the student became enlightened.

The Knight believes that he is capable to change this world.

The Knight of Programming thinks at times: “What I have not yet managed to create, will never be created”. It’s not totally so : he must keep creating, but also he must obediently wait for someone who bring out his creation to the light of day.

The Knight is able to keep balance between independent work and work in a team. The necessity to create programs is embodied in his very nature, like the necessity to eat and drink, to love work. If sunset is approaching and the Knight hasn’t felt joy from things he has made that day – then something is certainly wrong.

The Knight of Programming uses loneliness, but does not allow loneliness to make use of him. The Knight knows that it’s impossible to live in condition of slackness and idleness. But he can distinguish creative pressure and ostentatious fussiness and never confuses one with another.

The Knight of Programming always achieves a balance between knowledge and desire. The Knight of Programming who trust only a sharpness of his mind too excessively will eventually underestimate a time, required for implementation of his tasks. It’s worth to remember: sometimes the power of various circumstances is more effective than the most sophisticated finesse. Long can his battle for the working code can be, and this fight exhaust his forces. And when the terms of work on a task come to an end, neither shine, mind, persuasiveness of arguments or what is called as “charm” cannot prevent the trouble. And that is why the Knight of Programming pays tribute to the brute force of time, resisting him.