I am a software engineer with experience in web and game development but I enjoy all sorts of programming and system design. I started programming back in high-school without even fully understanding what I was doing, but it was fun. I naturally got into it in college, and after being taught the crucial fundamentals, I immediately went out and used programming for real projects.
I'm not a hacker; I'm a software engineer. You won't find me in hackathons or programming competitions (although I did go to one). I am completely focused on end products and its users. For me, programming is a powerful creative tool much like a brush and canvas is for a painter.