URL: http://web.cs.wpi.edu/~gpollice/Dojo.html

Programming is a learned skill. To be a master programmer you must practice. In this respect, it is similar to learning to play a musical instrument or a martial art. Expert programmers exhibit skill with many programming languages and paradigms, just like virtuoso musicians are often skilled in more than one instrument. If you want to be a master programmer, you have to take time to hone your skills.

The Coding Dojo is something I learned about, and experienced, at the Agile 2006 conference this summer. It is a great way to improve your skills, learn to give and accept constructive criticism, and be on your way to have a reputation as a master programmer. Last year we began a Coding Dojo. This year we've been talking about resuming, but there have been time constraints -- until now! We'll begin the dojo again on Mondays at noon in the Beckett conference room on the 2d floor of Fuller Labs.

Last year, we wandered from the original goals of the dojo, which are to improve programming style to looking at some cool and unique approaches to solving some problems. This term I'm going to try to keep us more in line with the goals of doing something simple, and looking at it with stylistic glasses as our filter. That doesn't mean that we won't look at some nifty algorithms and approaches, but all within the context of programming style.

I've created a Web page: http://web.cs.wpi.edu/~gpollice/Dojo.html that describes the dojo. This is open to everyone, especially undergraduates.

You don't have to be a CS major to participate. This is for anyone who likes to program. There is a mailing list for posting the programming challenges and dojo format for each meeting. That mailing list with instructions on how to subscribe is on the above Web page.

I invite you to come by and see what it's like. We will begin next Monday, March 17. I hope to see you there.

Gary Pollice