this post was submitted on 03 Sep 2024
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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"Learning something new" does not mean the thing you are learning is new. It just means it's new to you. One of the best things you can do for yourself as a dev is to learn to be fluid and be able to adapt to new languages, protocols, and technologies.
Why? I mean, I, personally, try to be as polyglot as possible, but not everyone working on the Linux kernel is even interested in doing anything that's not C kernel code, nor is it their profession.
Learning is key in this field. Being able to learn new things allows you to move from one thing to the next as needed. You also learn a lot from experiencing different things. Other ways of doing things, other points of view, other concepts that you may have not been exposed to before.
It also expands your employment potential and general usefulness. Knowing only one thing will severely limit your abilities.
I have already mentioned that programming is not everyone's profession. Not everyone chooses what they do in their unpaid free time primarily based on whether it makes them a more useful person. I think the very phrase ‘my usefulness’ is dangerous.
Are we only worth something as drones?
I never said anything about someone's usefulness as a person. Their usefulness as a software developer was the topic at hand. Maybe it's not your profession but a hobby but the point stands.
And yet it's drones that do one thing and only one thing their entire lives, never learn and grow.
To be honest, I've hardly ever asked myself how I could best please a potential employer with any of my hobbies. But I recognise that you're probably taking a different approach.