Re: A question for folks here

From: Christian Mazakas (christian.mazakas_at_[hidden])
Date: 2024-07-10 19:35:44

I had basically always known about Boost since I started C++ dev,
which I only really started once I wanted to start using multithreading
in some C code I was working on.

My first actual experience with Boost wasn't really that great. I tried
using one library, saw it took so long to compile I was *sure* that I was
using the library completely incorrectly and then promptly put Boost
down and then never used it again.

Then I joined the cpplang slack. It turned out that I knew basically no
real C++. Conversations with all the members there really helped me
deepen and solidify my understanding. But what's more, I had always
been attracted to library development.

That's when I met this guy named Glen Fernandes. He would basically
talk about how Boost had already solved all the problems in library
development in cross-platform ways and that's when I really started to like
Boost.

What attracted me to Boost was that the libraries were incredibly high
quality
and had really cool solutions to problems in C++. Honestly, so much of the
C++
world would be better if we had standardized something like Config and Core.

Now I'm a staff engineer at the C++ Alliance and I love it. I get to work
with some
of the best C++ engineers in the world and I helped deliver a hash table
faster than
Abseil's implementation and there's even more exciting libraries in
development as well.

I enjoy honing my skills and Boost is a good proving ground.

So I guess tl dr: it was entirely the mentorship aspect that pulled me in.

- Christian