A Programmer's Hippocratic Oath

The Hippocratic Oath is one of the oldest documents in history. The Oath, originally written by Hippocrates, is held sacred by physicians. This is an adaptation of the modern version of the Oath, and is a set of rules that I strive to follow.

My Oath

I swear to fulfil, to the best of my ability and judgement, the following:

I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those programmers in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed.

I will always ask questions.

I will always uphold facts, even if they directly oppose or contradict my opinion.

I will always gravitate towards professionalism, not a pay-check.

I will always follow the Boy Scout Rule and strive to leave a codebase cleaner than when I found it.

I acknowledge that my work will outlive the project deadline and make an effort to plan ahead.