13 September is not only World Programmers Day but also the 256th day of the year. This is a very special number as every programmer knows that a byte is defined as 8-bits and can represent values from 0 to 255, or 2 to the power of 8 different values. A byte represents 256 different values. Neat! And when translated to binary code, the day reads 1 0000 0000.
Ok, we know that fact might not interest the average Joe, but programmers are far from average. Programmers are problem solvers, inventors, and creatives and add value to our everyday lives, whether we know it or not.
This day honours programmers and innovators who make our lives easier by innovating and finding solutions to life and business challenges.
A Very Short History of World Programmers Day
Exactly 20 years ago, Russian programmers, Valentin Balt and Michael Cherviakov petitioned the Russian government to declare September 13th as Programmers’ Day. In 2002, this was an effort to pay tribute to programmers on a worldwide scale and all the contributions they make towards society. The date was chosen because it can also be written as 1024, which is equal to 210.
In real life, 1024 is usually treated as 1000, as an interface between binary codes and the decimal world. Across the globe, there are a few different dates used to celebrate these coding wizards, but due to the binary connection, we’ve chosen today to celebrate.
Celebrating Our People
At Blue Bean Software, we’re nothing without our team and in recognition, we want to use this day to highlight a few of Blue Bean’s crowning achievements in the past few years. These are not simply a list of company awards or milestones, but rather a list of achievements that have been made possible by our team of passionate professionals.
We’ve Grown
What started as 10 consultants has turned into 40 (and still counting), bringing the best engineers to our team. Although Blue Bean Software’s team has grown rapidly, we’re still passionate about creating safe spaces for learning and asking questions.
This expansion in staff has allowed us to continue our relentless pursuit of excellence. Our engineers are at the core of this pursuit, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t give them time to shine on their special day.
We’ve Empowered
During the last few years, we have transformed into a company that achieved level 2 BBEE compliance. By hiring a diverse team of software engineers, we benefit from the contribution of multiple perspectives to problem-solving and innovation. Driving inclusivity and creativity at the same time.
We’ve Contributed
Blue Bean Software partnered up with DevConf. We were a sponsor for the community-driven, South African software development environment. It was an event where attendees learnt, networked and were inspired regardless of their specific technology stack and programming language.
We’ve Innovated
Blue Bean Software’s team of talented software engineers has created HivePulse, a standalone smart beehive monitoring device that has been designed with hobbyists and commercial beekeepers in mind.
These are only a few achievements, and although it’s only one day that engineers across the world have a spotlight on them, for us, it’s a celebration every day. We are honoured by the great work our team has done and will continue celebrating them any chance we have.
So, when you see an engineer/dev/programmer today – buy them a cup of coffee to say thanks!
