In this episode of Dead Code, Jared interviews Dave Gauer, creator of the Ziglings project—a whimsical, hands-on tutorial for learning the Zig programming language. Dave shares how Ziglings began as a personal learning tool and grew into a widely loved resource, especially among younger developers. He emphasizes the value of learning in public, blending humor, accessibility, and bite-sized challenges to make complex systems programming concepts less intimidating. The conversation also explores Dave’s deep interest in the Forth language, the appeal of small, self-contained “microworlds” for learning, and his broader philosophy on sharing work, embracing whimsy, and building things that make programming joyful and approachable.

Links:

Ziglings

Zig

Rustlings

Forth

ColorForth

Alpine Linux

Lynx browser

Why’s (Poignant) Guide to Ruby

Learning Perl

The Little Schemer

Mindstorms by Seymour Papert

Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon

Ratfactor.com – Dave Gauer’s personal website and blog.

Forth in Space (section on Ratfactor) – Dave’s notes on how Forth has been used in radiation-hardened chips and space tech.

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Jared’s Links:

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twitch.tv/jardonamron

Jared’s Newsletter & Website

Episode Transcript

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