Live streamed video gaming is huge right now but could watching people code be the next big internet trend?
Thanks to TwitchTV, live gaming has quickly become a huge trend in internet video streaming as millions of gamers daily log in to play or watch other people game online. But if watching people play video games has become so popular, then what other kinds of tech related spectator sports might take off? The answer could be, coding.
That’s right. A new trend in live internet video streams centers around people watching other people code. The trend seems to have started at the subreddit /r/watchpeoplecode, and as it gained popularity, it was soon turned into a website called watchpeoplecode.com. The website has embedded all the live coding streams which are happening online at a given time, along with a listing of past streams and recordings for visitors to access if they so choose. In their first month, thousands of people have subscribed and tuned into these live coding streams, pointing to a trend that, with luck, may become as popular as live gaming streams.
Just streamed #meteorjs on http://t.co/cQhuzsmQdh – I had 829 views :O Really fun (even though I was disorganised) http://t.co/XzMSRiS62Z
— James Lefrère (@JamesLefrere) February 11, 2015
last week's livestream: 39 views. this week's livestream: 1106 views. holy smokes @WatchPeopleCode, you guys are serous business :)
— Adam Wulf (@adamwulf) February 10, 2015
In the streams, people can watch and learn all kinds of coding tasks, from how to build compilers, Minecraft servers and search engines, to coding in specific languages such as Ruby, Python and C. The streams are informal and don’t require any kind of membership to view but serve as a great resource for many.
“It’s interesting to see how other people approach problems – often differently than yourself,” Will (@squiffy), a security researcher and coder of 7 years, who tunes into various live coding streams throughout the week told iDigitalTimes. “It’s a great way for developers to learn and teach one another different strategies and workflows for a variety of projects.”
“I enjoy seeing how other coders work,” said Alvara software engineer, Marcus Vorwaller. “I like to see what tools they use, what their debugging process is, how fast or slowly they work. Generally it's hard to stand over someone's shoulder and watch them work without it being a little uncomfortable. If someone's willing to share their work online though, it's fun to watch.”
But what about the coders themselves? Why do they choose to run these lives streams, often free of cost? For Adam Wulf, developer of Loose Leaf, a gesture driven notes and sketch app, the decision to run live coding streams came as a result of difficulties he had while developing his latest app.
Meanwhile, David Whitney, a Technologist and Coding architect who streams his live ‘Cuting Code’ sessions in a show format, says he developed his stream as a natural extension of the work he does every day.
To learn more about the live stream coding sessions available, visit watchpeoplecode.com or follow @watchpeoplecode on Twitter.
Cammy Harbison Writer/Reporter For iDigitalTimes For More OSX, iOS, Jailbreak And Infosec News Follow Cammy on Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus