Fanciful Magic

Master of Fine Computing And Mentorship

Alright, I've been thinking of the idea of aprenticeship lately (shocker, right?). And it got me thinking about the mentors that I've had in the past. Several people have taken me under their wing and mentored me. I am thankful to every one of them. I learned different things from each of them. Everyone of them have made me not only a better developer, but a better person as well. Mentors can teach things that a book will never ever do. They teach experience via horror stories of their own past. The writing style of Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas reminds me of being around a great mentor without being physically there. I love their books, but back on topic... I am thankful that I've studied under the best. They made me understand objects, taught me all sorts of cool tricks, and discipline. But, I feel like I have so much more to learn. Which brings up to my next question. Who would you want to be a apprentice under? I've already be an apprentice under Steve Wessels, Richard Manning, John Sarkela, Paul McDonough, Leroy Mattingly, and many more than I can think of. So, here's a list of people I would love to be an apprentice to: Paul Graham, Andy Hunt, Dave Thomas, Rebecca Wirfs-Brock, Allen Wirfs-Brock, Dan Ingalls, Alan Kay, Jill Nicola, Mark Mayfield, Mike Abney, Robert Martin, Martin Fowler, Kent Beck, Ralph Johnson, Gerald Sussman, Harold Abelson, Joe Armstrong, and many more. I'm sure I'll think of more that I missed later. The list grows every year. But, it's fun to think of. There's just so many people that have helped me and will help me. I'm thankful to them all. So, who would you pick if you could pick anyone to be an apprentice for?