tin·ker
/ˈtiNGkər/
to make small changes to something, especially in an attempt to repair or improve it.
In Hindsight
Growing up, I never stuck to a single thing, be it guitar lessons, art school, martial arts – I tried them all. when it came to programming, though, I never really tinkered. I was always amazed with video games and wondered how they were made but I never pursued that curiosity.
My tinkering habits picked up very late, and now I cannot go by without picking up new things in one form or another. It’s how I learn. I wish I did it sooner. It’s a major part of my learning process now, and I would never be the programmer person I am today.
What the hell is tinkering?
Have you ever spent hours tweaking the mouse sensitivity in your favorite FPS game?
Have you ever installed a Linux distro, spent days configuring window managers, not because you had to, but purely because it gave you satisfaction and made your workflow exactly yours?
Ever pulled apart your mechanical keyboard, swapped keycaps, tested switches, and lubed stabilizers just for more thock?
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