Why would anyone want to be a programmer? There are many reasons, but none of will make any sense without an understanding of what programming is. Many see programming is a mundane, repetative, and boring process but in reality programming is a science and an art. There are some that would disagree with that statement, but every art form has had some opponents. The Scarlet Letter, considered by many to be a great work of art, was rejected by the vast majority in its time, and is still banned from libraries and schools in some regions. As programming becomes more and more important in people's everyday lives, we must stop viewing it as just another task, and recognize the level of skill and aptitude required to be good at it. Furthermore, we must understand the reasons why it matters, and why people do it. The three most common reasons are that programming is educational, useful, and fun.