What Does Brogramming Mean?
Brogramming is an internet slang term used to refer to computer code produced by “bros” – slang for male friends, particularly fraternity brothers – who are programmers. Apparently, this internet meme kicked off in summer 2011 with some threads on Quora.com, a question-and-answer website. Brogramming is also linked to Facebook, where the developers are said to have developed a brogramming culture.
Techopedia Explains Brogramming
According to the official Facebook page for brogramming – which was created by Nick Schrock, a Facebook engineer – brogrammers “rage on PHP, rage in the gym and rage at the club.” In addition, programmer Miles Lothe is credited for translating Facebook’s terms of service into “bro-speak.”
Quora.com also provides several key attributes of typical brogrammers, including:
- Sunglasses, particularly the mirrored, aviator variety
- The consumption of protein shakes, “brotein” and sugar-free Red Bull
- Hitting (i.e., “raging at”) the gym
- Attracting women
- Writing code (i.e., “code hard, code often”)
According to Matt Rosoff at BusinessInsider.com, the term brogramming may be an assertion of a socially macho image gained by programmers in recent years, after a long history of being identified as “geeks.” The predominance of high-powered and profitable tech startups may be one reason for this image shift.
