I want to write demos. The class and the teacher stare at Jonny, stunned. It is the teacher's turn to be confused. Jonny blushes, feeling that something more is required. Either that or I want to be a fireman.
Demos are the last bastion of passionate enthusiast-only programming.
It's not a true story, but it sums up the demo coding ethos just fine. If you're young, like computers, and have plenty of free time, there are three main ways to impress your peers. You can hack into other people's systems, you can crack the copy protection on games software, or you can code demos. Years ago, young people used the term demo as shorthand for a political march or rally. But it isn't a demonstration of a game or business application, and it hasn't been commissioned for any ulterior commercial purpose.