One of the major facts about #coding you need to know is that it’s one of the fastest-growing careers around.
According to the Indeed job search platform, listings for entry-level PHP developers are up by over 800% and other coding-related positions aren’t far behind.
The US Bureau of Labor also predicts an 8% increase in these types of jobs by 2024, which is much higher than the average.
So, if you’re considering a career in this field, check out these interesting coding facts to help you make up your mind.
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Coding Has No Boundaries
As long as you have an inquisitive mind and enjoy figuring things out, you can learn to code. Humans have the innate ability to communicate via languages, including computer languages used in coding.
You can do it from anywhere regardless of your race, native language, or gender.
One of the most revealing computer coding facts is that a woman, Ada Lovelace, published the first machine-focused algorithm in 1815, over 100 years before women’s rights became a thing.
A woman, called Grace Hopper, also found the first bug (an actual moth) in a computer system she built.
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Every Industry Needs Coders
Most coders work outside of the tech industry, in any sector where computers are streamlining and automating processes. You’ll find coders, developers, programmers, software engineers, and computer scientists employed in agriculture, healthcare, education, and industry.
Knowing how to code is a job requirement if you want to work in the field of astronomy. they use several programming languages in their daily tasks when processing measurements or simulating astrophysical phenomena.
Coders’ salaries are among the highest in the tech field, although, due to the remote nature of the work, employers can hire cheap labor from other countries.
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Facts About Computer Coding Languages
The very first computer language, FORTRAN came about in 1956, thanks to the efforts of John Backus.
Today, there are over 700 programming languages used worldwide. Even children can learn coding thanks to basic systems like Scratch, while more advanced programmers learn Java or Python.
Along the way, some languages like ALGOL and COBOL fell by the wayside as more intuitive languages came about. The most widely used languages include Python, JavaScript, Java, and C#.
You’ll also find a host of complementary apps and tips for coding that help streamline your workload such as Regex, which you can further enhance with things like a regex cheat sheet.
Although each program has its differences, they all work on basic principles of logic, which makes them highly versatile tools in the modern world.
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The Gaming Industry is Gold for Coders
When you think of jobs involving coding, websites are the first thing that comes to mind. However, the gaming industry is a lucrative place to start looking for a job.
The world’s first computer game, called Spacewar, came about in 1962. Currently, this sector is worth $30 million more than the movie industry, even though the very first computer game generated no profits.
Some of the world’s most affluent coders cut their teeth in the field of gaming.
Markus Persson, from Sweden, created the game Minecraft in 2009 and sold it to Microsoft in 2014 for $2.5 billion. Apple billionaires, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started their careers by creating the game Breakout.
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Code Doesn’t Age
It took less code to put a man on the moon than it does to run a smartphone nowadays.
Perhaps that’s why NASA still runs on code written in the 1970s. It would take too much time and money to change everything at this late stage.
In recent times, the New jersey government put out an urgent plea to programmers with knowledge of COBOL since many of the state’s government computers still run on this software.
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Computer Viruses Started Out Harmless
Coders created the first computer viruses with good intentions in mind. College students created them as experiments to test their coding skills, or sometimes to play practical jokes on their classmates.
Xerox engineers also came up with a worm used to search for idle processes in network computers and the first boot sector virus aimed to protect systems against piracy.
In 1988, two brothers invented a regulatory and protective program called ‘Brain’, designed to safeguard their heart-monitoring program. If anyone installed an illegal copy of their program, the user would automatically receive a message informing them of the virus and that they should contact the brothers for a cure.
Unfortunately, hackers learned to use this technology for their own gain. You can rest assured that for every ‘black hat’ hacker in action today, there’s a team of ‘white hat’ hackers in place to foil their efforts.
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Even Kids Can Learn to Code
Although you might need a university degree to land the highest paying jobs in the world of technology, you can learn all about coding for free.
Thanks to online coding courses for kids, anyone can access the basics of coding and work on their skills from there. You don’t need a fancy computer to learn to code. An ordinary laptop or smartphone will do.
Once you’ve mastered the basic skills, you can build up a portfolio of work that can help you get freelance work as a coder or an entry-level position at a startup.
There’s no doubt that coding is the gateway to infinite employment opportunities. One only has to look at the list of the world’s wealthiest people for proof about the power of coding.
Find More Facts About Coding
Tech is one of the fastest-developing industries worldwide, especially as more businesses turn to remote working.
One of the best ways to stay on top of your game in this field is by staying informed. No matter how much you learn there’s always another innovation on the horizon.
You can count on us to bring you all the best facts about coding and other tech issues, so check back regularly for more interesting information.
