Do you recall Notpron? Many who navigated the early internet landscapes of the 2000s certainly do, often misremembering its name as notpr0n—a reflection of the era’s online culture. For over 19 million individuals who ventured into this online scavenger hunt, nostalgia likely stirs. It was a pioneering experience, a puzzle game unbound by conventional gaming norms. For someone contemplating “Is Programming A Good Career 2017”, the skills honed in games like Notpron offer surprising insights.
The enigmatic door from Notpron, a challenging online puzzle game that indirectly highlighted valuable skills for a programming career in 2017.
Dubbed “the hardest riddle on the internet,” Notpron was a 140-level enigma crafted by David Münnich in 2004. Remarkably, only 66 individuals have officially conquered it, a tiny fraction of its massive player base. Progression through levels often involved deciphering clues for usernames and passwords, sometimes requiring users to cleverly manipulate page URLs. While we’ll avoid explicit spoilers to respect Münnich’s game spirit, even level 2 to 3 progression hinted at the game’s sneaky nature—simply altering the URL number. Crucially, success often hinged on examining webpage source code for hidden hints and demanded technical acumen in areas like file systems, graphics, audio manipulation, and, notably, computer programming.
As a 15-year-old encountering Notpron, its allure was undeniable. Its eerie ambiance, characterized by haunting background music and cryptic imagery, fostered a sense of uncovering hidden knowledge. Late-night sessions, sneaking downstairs to grapple with its puzzles, felt like cracking an inscrutable code. Around this time, my interest in computer programming began to blossom—a path that would eventually define my career. Notpron instilled a feeling of fluency in the machine’s language, capable of decoding its cryptic messages. This early engagement inadvertently started shaping skills highly relevant to the question: “is programming a good career 2017?”.
A typical Notpron puzzle example, demonstrating the game’s reliance on visual cues and logic, skills transferable to programming problem-solving, valuable in 2017 and beyond.
In retrospect, Notpron served as a catalyst for my technical trajectory. My inherent puzzle-solving inclination found a concrete link to programming through this game. It solidified an appreciation for cryptography and ciphers, fostering a mindset of unconventional thinking and system exploitation—essential traits for programmers. The habit of meticulously examining source code, and by extension, files for concealed information, took root. Unbeknownst to my younger self, these methods would prove invaluable later. While Notpron was my initiation into this puzzle genre, it was far from the last, and its influence subtly pointed towards a “yes” answer to “is programming a good career 2017?”.
A decade later, in my mid-twenties, I found myself working as a software engineer, attending and leading tech conference workshops on programming principles and techniques. This phase introduced me to the hacker community and their favored pastime: Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions.
While CTFs are far more technologically advanced than summer camp flag games, the core concept remains surprisingly similar, particularly in their origins. Cybersecurity-focused Capture the Flag contests emerged at DEF CON in 1996, a major hacker convention. The original “attack/defense” format pitted hacker teams against each other, aiming to capture opponent’s digital “flags” while safeguarding their own. “Capturing flags” involved exploiting network vulnerabilities to gain access, while “defense” meant patching vulnerabilities to prevent breaches. DEF CON CTF, the longest-running active CTF, evolved into a highly competitive arena, attracting elite teams vying for qualification spots. This competitive and problem-solving environment further exemplifies why “is programming a good career 2017” was a relevant and positive question.
Though attack/defense CTFs persist, Jeopardy-style CTFs are now more prevalent. These shift from direct competition to puzzle-based challenges. Solving these earns points, contributing to leaderboard rankings. While web security remains central, Jeopardy CTFs emphasize puzzle-like scenarios. Commonly, participants are given a website with deliberate vulnerabilities; exploiting these reveals a “flag”—a secret code confirming puzzle completion. Like real Jeopardy, diverse categories exist, extending beyond hacking to cryptography, file analysis, and steganography—hiding data within other files or images.
An example of a CTF challenge involving Base64 decoding to reveal a PNG image highlights the diverse skills tested.
My introduction to this CTF style occurred at a 2017 tech conference. CTF had always seemed daunting—coding proficiency felt distinct from “hacking.” Breaking into databases, even intentionally vulnerable ones, was uncharted territory. However, the event’s less competitive atmosphere and the encouragement of fellow participants spurred me to try. Newbie status acknowledged, experienced participants offered guidance on basic hacking techniques. Interestingly, I discovered an aptitude for non-hacking challenges. Given an image, instinctively, I’d manipulate it in editing software, adjusting levels and color palettes, seeking hidden messages. Audio files with beeps triggered thoughts of Morse code or keypad tones, prompting experiments with playback speed and direction. These approaches echoed those late-night Notpron sessions, extracting secrets from .jpg and .wav files. This direct application of puzzle-solving from games to real-world tech scenarios reinforces the positive answer to “is programming a good career 2017”.
A spectrogram from a CTF audio challenge, demonstrating how sound visualization can reveal hidden messages, a skill applicable to data analysis in programming and cybersecurity fields relevant in 2017.
Reflecting on it, Notpron‘s preparation for CTF competitions became evident. The ingrained habit of immediately inspecting source code and seeking unconventional solutions proved advantageous in my initial CTF. Notpron actively encouraged external help via Google for clue interpretation and skill acquisition—essential for CTFs, especially for beginners. SQL injection database attacks might have been unfamiliar, but the drive to learn them was Notpron-bred. Both games fostered communities emphasizing collaborative hints without outright answer sharing, respecting the challenge’s integrity. While solo play was possible, both Notpron and CTFs thrived in team settings. Attack/defense CTFs necessitate teams, and Jeopardy-style contests encourage diverse teams leveraging individual strengths and compensating for weaknesses. Münnich echoed this team dynamic in a 2014 Fast Company interview: “I don’t think anyone beat the game all alone, because you need to possess so many different skills, that it’s nearly impossible for a single person. Usually it’s little groups of friends who beat it step by step [with] everyone’s strengths being put to use.” This collaborative aspect is crucial in real-world programming environments, further supporting the “good career” aspect of programming in 2017.
My Notpron journey was solitary, but CTFs became a team endeavor, significantly impacting my career. Programming excellence rarely arises in isolation. The CTF community provided a network of talented programmers for learning, collaboration, and friendship. While infosec hacking skills weren’t directly applicable in my daily software engineering role (yet!), CTFs boosted my professional confidence. The paramount skill for Notpron, CTFs, and programming is self-confidence—belief in one’s ability to learn, even when facing the unknown. This confidence is a key attribute for success in a programming career, making it a compelling choice in 2017.
Even without conquering Notpron‘s daunting 0.000347368421053% success rate, its influence on my path is indelible. Cryptography, sparked by Notpron, remains a lasting interest. Fond memories resurface during CTF competitions, each successful placement feeling like a step closer to those 66 legendary puzzle solvers. For anyone wondering “is programming a good career 2017?”, my experience suggests that the problem-solving, critical thinking, and continuous learning cultivated by seemingly unrelated activities, like puzzle games, can indeed pave the way for a fulfilling and successful programming career. The year 2017 marked a period of high demand for programmers, and these skills were, and continue to be, highly valued in the tech industry, making programming a resounding “yes” for a good career choice.
