I think katas are great. So are all of the various tests you can take, as long as they provide accurate answers and information, because not all do.

However, I don't spend time on those. I'm not saying that you shouldn't, but I don't want to do it just like I don't want to go to a karate class. I have nothing against karate, but I don't want to hit and kick people. Similarly, I don't want to code the answer to some problem that someone else came up with, just because it's a kata or test.

I've been a programmer for more years than a lot of the people on HN have been alive and a professional developer for close to 20 years. That doesn't make my opinion right. In fact, I think the majority of you are probably better developers than I am.

But, if you don't like katas and don't like tests- don't feel bad about yourself. You might be like me. I just like to find my own problems and attempt to solve them. And that's ok. There might not always be a place for me as a developer, but there will always be a place for developers that think like that.

As long as you don't hurt anyone, just be yourself.