Conociendo al Co-Creador de FireFox Blake Ross, el joven programador co-creador de uno de los navegadores más populares de hoy, Mozilla Firefox. Su mundo empezo a los 10 años creando paginas webs en AOL, a los 14 años de edad ya dominaba C++ como un maestro. Mientras estaba en secundaria el estubo arreglando fallos en Netscape desde su casa, un hobby que le consiguio un trabajo de verano con Netscape (a los 15 años). Antes de terminar de graduarse de secundaria empezo junto a otros el proyecto FireFox. Hoy en dia esta en Stanford y aun sigue siendo parte del equipo de FireFox con una historia de trabajo mejor que los profesores de él. Blake es un co-creador de Firefox junto a Dave Hyatt. Asi que conseguimos su email para que nos diera una pequeña entrevista :). In a news , I read that you started as a young teen to program in C++ , what got you into programming? I think it was the natural convergence of two personal drives that emerged early on: a penchant for computers, and a desire to express myself. Programming is so challenging, but the results--people actually using and enjoying your product--are so rewarding, and that hooked me early on. I remember how exciting it was the first time I made a tiny change to Mozilla and was able to see my work reflected in such a massive and important product. How did you get a job working in Netscape and then Mozilla and how does it feel working in such big companies? Actually, that's backwards. I worked on Mozilla and then Netscape. Mozilla is an open-source project, which means that the code is readily available to anyone who wants it. So I began fixing bugs in the code, and Netscape noticed my work. (The Netscape browser was based on the Mozilla code.) They offered me an internship during high school to encourage me to continue working on the code. Working at such a large company wasn't really as foreign an experience as people seem to imagine. I'd already learned how to function as part of a large team during my work on Mozilla. Working at Netscape was a similar experience, but it was much better because I finally got to collaborate with them in close quarters. When I needed a code review (or someone to go to the movies with), they were a couple cubicles down. Programming vs Designers in the world of computers , who you think is better? I think programmers need to be designers. That the core Firefox engineering team understood the principles of good UI is one of the most salient reasons behind Firefox's success. How much time do you spend in a computer? If you use it a lot do you feel strange if you dont use it for a day? I spend way too much time on the computer, but it's a necessary part of my job. Thankfully, meetings, interviews and classes afford me less time in front of it than I suffered in the past. But I would be surprised if a day went by in the past decade that didn't find me on the computer at some point. Do you use the default firefox or do you have a personal customized one? I use purebred Firefox. And that's just the way we designed it--to work well right out of the box. Do you have a normal life or you work 24/7? Funny question :) I lead a "normal" life, and in fact most of the people in it had no idea about my involvement in Firefox until the recent media wave hit. I do, however, work an absurd amount of hours every day trying to juggle school, Firefox and other projects. Do you drink cofee? What are your favorite food? You know, I've never had a sip of coffee in my entire life. The pure frustration of an unsolved bug is usually enough to keep me awake late at night. As far as favorite foods, well, I've been on a health kick for about two years now, so I'm afraid my favorites are other people's nightmares. Favorite music/songs? I like all kinds of stuff. Favorite bands include Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band, and Linkin Park. I'm also a big fan of Broadway musicals (e.g. Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Rent). Any message to inspire young programmers? Just remember who you're coding for. Don't spend all day locked away in your room; you need a direct line of communication with the users of your product, because that constant stream of feedback will be what makes it succeed. Quick question , linux or windows? I'm a Windows user. La pregunta del cafe le dio tanta curiosidad que escribio en su blog sobre el, quote: I guess there’s just no Starbucks close by An interviewer just asked me how many cups of coffee I drink to stay awake at night, and it just occurred to me that I have never had a sip of coffee in my entire life. I don’t even know what it tastes like, though the smell alone is enough to reassure me that I don’t want to know. The pure frustration of an unsolved bug is usually enough to keep me awake. Programmers: how do you stay coherent at 4 AM? Pagina web personal de Blake Ross: http://www.blakeross.com/