Week 3: Why Geeks Need to Write

For week three of CSC148 SLOGs, we have been assigned the topic of "Why Geeks Need to Write". This presents an important topic in computing, as it articulates the necessity of writing and written correspondence.  Writing is a means of delivering information to others, and analyzing your own understanding of a topic.

Knowing is not enough. Communicating what you know is a necessity of life, and english is a medium through which we can deliver this information to others. Whether it be filling out a document, writing a paper for a class, or reporting on a work project; writing never truly disappears from our lives.

Much like syntax is important in our coding, it is also important in our writing. In fact, coding and english are both languages in which we can convey information. Sufficient context, eloquence, and precision are required in both of these languages.

Written information is easily revisited and a great means of recording facts and opinions. The brain is notorious for overwriting and misplacing information that we learn. Graphite, digitized text, and ink are excellent mediums for preserving information that could otherwise be lost. Recording the facts we learn, the concepts we find difficult, and the new information we derived from our learning processes, are methods that can be used to harness our minds.

Often, when attempting to convey information to others, we are able to identify any gaps in our understanding of a topic, or inconsistencies in our theoretical knowledge. Additionally, by conveying information, we are often forced to summarize information in a concise but informative way, thereby helping us to distinguish important information. Learning, and sharing what we have learned, can often be one and the same thing.