1 My gmail notifier lights up. It could be a friend asking if I want to meet up for a drink later or a nigerian prince who has a financial proposition I simply can’t refuse. Either way those few moments before I actually read the message always fill me with a bit of euphoria.
2 API’s – I know that it is fun to screen scape websites and collect information that you can manipulate yourself, but it is a lot better when they give you the information legally and you can write more productive code. Ex: Flickr, Facebook, USPS, etc. (get the hint ESPN)
3 Someone submits something I wrote to digg. Sometimes it makes the digg homepage, sometimes it doesn’t. Either way it’s flattering to have something I wrote submitted by someone else who thought it was digg-worthy.
4 A new referrer pops up in bSuite. Whatever analytics you use on your website, it’s always nice to see someone spreading the link love.
5 Seeing something in the real world that correlates to something in the geek world. Ever have a total ring up as 404 or 13.37 and enjoy a bit of silent amusement? Yeah, me too.
6 When the shipping status changes to “on truck for delivery.†I buy a lot of stuff online, this is the final step before my package arrives and it pretty much makes me feel like I’m windsurfing on a sea of spectacular. Is work frustrating today? Did my upstairs neighbor keep me up all night by making noises that sounded like they were giving birth to an elephant? No worries, I’ve got some awesome shit coming in the mail – all is forgiven.
7 Someone posts a real comment on one of my blog entries. Hell yeah, I blogged and someone responded without trying to sell me ringtones. Fan-freakin-tastic.
8 That little green icon in the lower left of my browser indicating that my page validates. W3C all up in this biznatch – oh how I love that green icon. I wish you were a nightlight beside my bed.
9 My code works perfectly on the first try. It’s rare, but it happens. Usually I’ll triple-check to make sure it’s actually working.
10 Seeing binary code written on a shirt and knowing what it says, laughing to yourself and then laughing out loud because only another geek would understand.
11 Hearing a co-worker say “for the win†or “for the loss†in basic conversations. That’s it…no other reasons
12 Having an idea about a project that you want to work on and then someone else launches the exact idea but right around the same time that you thought of it. For most people, that would be upsetting, but it just means that you get all of the functionality and can work on another project. It makes me happy.
13 Technorati and Alexa Ranking that increases each week. I like to see my numbers jump greatly over time which supports my theory that people actually read my blog.
14 Bashing stuff into pieces with a crowbar in half-life. Anyone who has ever bashed apart a few crates knows that this is the most satisfying feeling in the entire world.
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