Are you a programmer and a fan of slasher flicks? When you're not dreaming of electric Python sheep, do you live for the thrill of watching a masked killer wreak havoc on unsuspecting teens? 

When your JavaScript lessons are over, and you need to unwind, do you often cop up a forfeited VHS from your basement to watch these B-movies and wonder, “what will happen to the characters if they do the slightest thing wrong?”

Well, have you ever considered swapping out the machete for a keyboard and the blood spatter for lines of code?

That's right, folks — coding streams and horror movies are curiously easy to swap for each other. In both slasher flicks and programming, a single mistake means it's game over for you.

So, welcome to the wild world of coding streams, where the soothing sound of keyboard clicks replaces the screams of terror, and the gore is replaced by… well, still just lines of code. But you know the truth: mistakes in both environments are equally deadly.

Don’t fool around and slash that line of code

Acquiring your coding chops (instead of getting chopped up) by tuning in to streamers whose code seems like a trendy idea. Slasher flicks could never recover from the drive-in cinema downfall, but streaming is on the rise. According to research conducted by Streams Charts, the number of monthly streamers in Europe increased by 27% year-on-year in 2020, with 7.4 million streamers publishing content to Twitch. Germany is the second country with the most Twitch users globally, with a 10 million user tally, roughly 7% of Twitch's total audience. On the other hand, the Just Chatting channels were the most popular on Twitch during certain months of 2022.

But just like slasher flicks, not all coding streams are created equal. Some will have you on the edge of your seat, hoping blood doesn't splatter your 12" computer monitor. Others will have you reaching for the “next” button faster than a victim running from a hockey-masked killer but will help you learn the “Hello World” once and for all.

Here's a list of coding streamers that will help you slash your way through the software development world:

1. CodingGarden

Coding Garden is CJ's open, engaging, and dynamic community for coders of all skill levels to collaborate, learn, and develop together. CJ of CodingGarden does live broadcasts on YouTube and Twitch multiple times each week. While broadcasting live, he uses several different programming languages and is also quite active on GitHub, where you can discover projects containing his work. CJ’s interactive and didactic explanations, like this challenge on how to build and deploy a URL shortener in 3133.7 seconds with Node.js, prove he can find a way around the typical slasher flick conundrums. Remember the unwritten rule of how the characters who don’t spend the night with someone else often make it to the end in horror movies? He might break it in half.

2. Codingbandit

Microsoft is again on the news — this time, not for a messy Windows update — because of its prescient investments in seriously nifty AI technologies. CodingBandit is ready to explain how all those investments untangle when it comes to punching code. This code streaming channel is run by Carey Payette, a multi-language programming expert who's given IRL talks about cloud integrations, .NET, how to code for a cause, and how specific APIs are deployed on Microsoft's infrastructure. She's also keen on showing her Raspberry Pi experiments, so get hold of her handiwork to catch up with the latest C++ and Python IoT tips. Most of her streams focus on the content she creates for her job, and she uses the Q&A feature to field queries from her viewers. She hasn't streamed in a while, but we suggest checking out her channel to discover some valuable clips. With AI's APIs being all the rage, it's also a good idea to keep an eye out for new content from her side.

3. Rwxrob

Microservices? Serverless apps? XaaS? No, you’re not round the bend: All of these terms exist. Yes, the realm of infrastructure might have more buzzwords in store than Twitter's timeline during an NFT crash. So rwxrob might be your buddy when trying to shrug off the mystery from them and understand how the people telling us we're going “serverless” justify their claims. Rwxrob, a polyglot, streams about many of the technologies that belong to the cloud and infrastructure disciplines, including Go, the programming language behind Docker, Kubernetes, or CoreOS. Clips on YouTube demonstrate he's keen on, hem, interacting with his viewers, so expect a teacher-student relationship when tuning in. How do those relationships end up in most slasher flicks, though?

4. Alh4zr3d

Alh4zr3d is a professional red teamer and pentester who streams about everything related to hacking, InfoSec, and cybersecurity. If you are keen to learn more about security best practices and how your code can be hacked, Alh4zr3d is the streamer for you. This streamer is like the slasher flick Halloween, where the audience is aware of the hacker's tactics and how to prevent them. Like, for example, don’t leave your toolshed’s door ajar — a serial killer might creep out of it if you do!

5. j_blow

Back in the late aughts, the indie platformer Braid made strides as one of the first non-AAA games to reach critical eyes, even before the subterranean, auteur-like games such as Journey, To the Moon or the more recent Hollow Knight gained acclaim from all corners of the Internet. One of Braid's lasting promises was its use of time to push a narrative, with twists and turns happening around the clock as the protagonist navigated the 16-bit-esque platforms. j_blow, the alias for Jonathan Blow, also uses time constraints as a medium for programmers to learn. As the director behind Braid and other indie hits, his Twitch channel, where he goes over programming languages and game engines, is often straight to the bone as a slasher flick villain's hacksaw, making sure things get done as nimbly as possible. With clips going over which web framework stack he would use, wise words about Python, and why Unity is not so fast, j_blow is a valuable channel for developers who prefer to understand the value of different programming languages before settling for a single one for a particular project.

6. nickwan_datasci

Currently serving as the Director of Analytics for the Cincinnati Reds, Nick Wan is an avid live streamer of Python code on topics like sports analytics, neuroscience (he has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Utah State), and random APIs. As a rule, you may catch him code streaming late at night in CET time on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Don't let the Super Bowl, which usually airs simultaneously with the most defiant horror movies out there, deter you from learning to code with Nick. As a matter of fact, listen to his NFL overviews to grasp Python and finally understand a single rule about the sport, whose helmets rarely show up as much as hockey masks in slasher flicks — and that's for a reason, folks.

7. csharpfritz

Learn C Sharp With Jeff! The perfect streamer for those who are into C# and Microsoft tools such as ASP.NET Core, .NET Core, and Visual Studio. He streams live on Twitch and also uploads recordings of his streams on YouTube, so you can catch up even if you miss the live stream. He's like the flick Nightmare on Elm Street where the audience can’t believe there’s someone who can unironically boast a handle with the term “csharp” inserted within and still slap and kill it.

8. Handmade Hero

Learning to code with games? Too much of a utopia. But you still got Handmade Hero, an ongoing project to create a complete game from scratch while streaming everything as they go along. They already have several hundreds of videos, the earliest dating back to 2014, which you can browse on their YouTube channel. This streamer is like the slasher flick Scream where the audience is aware of the process and behind-the-scenes of the film.

Spaghetti code? Stream it!

In conclusion, if you're a fan of both slasher flicks and programming, tuning into coding streams is a must-do. With a wide variety of streamers to choose from, you're sure to find one that will keep you on the edge of your seat, just like a good slasher film. Don't forget to follow the streamers on social media to stay updated on their latest streams and projects. You can even start code streaming yourself to finally document the butchered code blocks you’ve committed to the repo…

Don't miss out on the fun, fake blood, and thrills! Pick a streamer and keep on learning. And when you’re ready, head over to our job platform to see what opportunities are out there!

Thanks for reading 🔪😱