Starting My Journey: Why I’m Learning to Code

Hi, and welcome to my blog! My name is Matthew, and I'm an aspiring developer with a passion for learning and creating through code. While I have no experience blogging, I figured it would be a great way to document my journey, reflect on my projects, share what I learn, and connect with others in the tech community.

So, Why Blogging?

To be honest, it was a spur of the moment thought that I had. I wanted some way to document my projects so that it might make more sense to those who were interested in learning about how my projects came to be. It's not just about documenting the steps that I took either, it's also about documenting my own journey, and my own path through learning. While this is indeed my first attempt at blogging, I'm giving it an honest shot, and I'm putting a lot of time and effort into all of these projects.

This sudden effort to document my journey comes as a result of the unfortunate news that my position with my current employer has been terminated as a result of downsizing. That's right, I was personally impacted by layoffs. Granted, they offered me a position in another department, but it will never feel the same. I'm moving from the software engineering org to the customer service org, not ideal. Panicked by the sudden, unexpected news, I freshened my resume, created a LinkedIn, and got to work applying for all of the openings that I could find regarding software development and all of the many related fields..

..And, I haven't received a single invite to a preliminary interview. I had gone so far as to create a unique cover letter for each and every position, and I dare say that I was rather qualified for a number of openings. Alas, it mattered not.

Not one to be easily defeated, I refused to give up. I reached out to my peers for suggestions, and that was when my supervisor recommended building a portfolio for myself, since I'm primarily interested in a similar job, or perhaps one that is a bit more involved in programming. I thought it was a great idea, and it led me to purchasing a domain from GoDaddy.com - Phantomdevops.com.

After playing around with the site builder tool, I found an option for blogging, and I thought "What an interesting idea!", and so, I tried it, realized how limited its functionality was, and ventured out to find ghost.org!

Why Coding?

Simply put, I think the idea of writing code to define and modify things is a fascinating and satisfying ability. I’ve been experimenting with scripting for a few years now, primarily using PowerShell, Python, and Ruby, though I’ve also dabbled in JavaScript, HTML, PHP, and C#.

My first attempt at coding was in Terraria! I had this idea of wanting to modify the game in some way, just to call some part of it mine, and so I tried out C# for the first time. While not exactly groundbreaking (Game breaking, more like), I managed to add a single sword to the game—complete with a hand-made sprite, with the consequence of irreparable damage to the rest of the game. That small "success" planted two seeds in my mind: one of wonder at the remarkable power of scripting, and one of terror at its potential for destruction.

What Drives Me?

My passion for coding truly began during my time at Enphase Energy. Though my role started as a typical tech support position, it quickly evolved into something far more advanced. Many of my tasks involved working within a Linux-based OS, which was completely new to me at the time. Before long, I was granted access to a backend production server running Ruby on Rails.

While I wouldn’t call myself a backend developer, I gained valuable exposure to Ruby and began writing small scripts to automate repetitive tasks. This eventually led me to explore Python, where I created automations that saved significant time on tedious duties. It wasn’t long before I fell in love with the endless possibilities scripting offers.

The Use of ChatGPT

To further enhance my learning, I started using ChatGPT as a tool to assist in writing scripts. While some may view AI tools like ChatGPT as a shortcut, I see them as invaluable learning aids. They allow me to explore new concepts, experiment with different programming styles, and even dive into languages I might not have approached otherwise.

I’m particularly fascinated by how AI is reshaping industries, education, and human interaction. The more I work with it, the more I realize its potential—and the importance of mastering it. My ultimate goal is to become a pioneer in the field of Artificial Intelligence, contributing to the development of the world’s first General AI. Only time will tell if my dreams are ever shaped into reality, but I certainly plan on giving it my best effort.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. I'd really love to hear about your own experiences with coding, AI, or learning new skills—Feel free to connect!