When do you loose your interest in programming ??
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Developers, thats what we are, but I beleive there are types of them: type of which they are writing code out of fun, and type who writes code out of money, and there is a type of which started as fun and turned to the money part, so ... when do you think this turn will happen?? in 3 years ?? 5 years ?? 10 years ?? more than that ??!!
Sincerely Samer Abu Rabie Software Engineer
I love programming and do it for fun. I also do it for money. I usually enjoy my side projects more than my work projects, but, hey, it is work after all. I find that having other hobbies, such as playing the piano, writing articles, and studying history, help to reinvigorate my interest in programming when it diminishes. For example, I recently applied some knowledge gained by studying 18th century British political theory to a software design problem. It resulted in this article[^]. I find that each of my hobbies positively influences the others.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^] All of life is just a big rambling blog post.
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Developers, thats what we are, but I beleive there are types of them: type of which they are writing code out of fun, and type who writes code out of money, and there is a type of which started as fun and turned to the money part, so ... when do you think this turn will happen?? in 3 years ?? 5 years ?? 10 years ?? more than that ??!!
Sincerely Samer Abu Rabie Software Engineer
I only write code that I think is fun and I make a lot of money doing it. I tried the enterprisey route but for me it sucked. If there wasn't money in coding it would be a hobby.
Sovereign ingredient for a happy marriage: Pay cash or do without. Interest charges not only eat up a household budget; awareness of debt eats up domestic felicity. --Lazarus Long
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I love programming and do it for fun. I also do it for money. I usually enjoy my side projects more than my work projects, but, hey, it is work after all. I find that having other hobbies, such as playing the piano, writing articles, and studying history, help to reinvigorate my interest in programming when it diminishes. For example, I recently applied some knowledge gained by studying 18th century British political theory to a software design problem. It resulted in this article[^]. I find that each of my hobbies positively influences the others.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^] All of life is just a big rambling blog post.
Josh Smith wrote:
I usually enjoy my side projects more than my work projects, but, hey, it is work after all.
I second that.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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Developers, thats what we are, but I beleive there are types of them: type of which they are writing code out of fun, and type who writes code out of money, and there is a type of which started as fun and turned to the money part, so ... when do you think this turn will happen?? in 3 years ?? 5 years ?? 10 years ?? more than that ??!!
Sincerely Samer Abu Rabie Software Engineer
Samer Abu Rabie wrote:
when do you think this turn will happen?? in 3 years ?? 5 years ?? 10 years ?? more than that ??!!
going on 23 professionally, 28 as an amateur... is it supposed to change? When I talk about enjoying a career, I often tell a story from high school. There was a girl there I still owe an apology to. She was a genius, great at all studies, aced her SAT and ACT, she could go to any school, choose any career and she chose clothing design. I had words with her I regret. I was a bit jealous, I worked hard to get in the top 10 and was kicked down to 12 in the last half of 12th grade. It wasn't her fault, nor was it her fault my brother had it easy too, he was a genius as well. I struggled, and struggled and she had the choice of any career, and she chose a career that was related to what was denied me. I was refused art from my family, she had choice I did not.... anyhow the words were harshly spoken, and we never spoke the last few weeks of school, nor since. It took me another 10 years to truly understand. It took me a job in accounting with a bad boss, and beautiful office, to understand that there is more to a job that money, and a gilded cage. Happiness, joyful passage of time. THAT is what makes a job livable. If you find yourself miserable at work and just getting money, what is there left to do? get more money? how? by being more miserable? Does then money equate with misery rather than happiness? what are you earning it for? I found a job that was happier, and closer to the art I enjoyed too. Then I understood, it isn't just the money as my family always thought of, happiness is worth more. My family still want to know how much I make, because they need to compare my success with theirs, I lie by shorting myself from reality, they are happy I make less than them... or so they believe. I have a job that I enjoy, that is all that matters. Amazingly enough, the money increased when I enjoyed it more as well.
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jhaga wrote:
I don't think you ever loose interest.
I loose my interest every day! It does me no good to keep it bound... ;P (yeah, i know, the OP misspelled it first...)
Citizen 20.1.01
'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master - that's all.'
Not misspelled, just a case of loose typing on a sloppy keyboard. :) jhaga
How to earn $104/month.
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Developers, thats what we are, but I beleive there are types of them: type of which they are writing code out of fun, and type who writes code out of money, and there is a type of which started as fun and turned to the money part, so ... when do you think this turn will happen?? in 3 years ?? 5 years ?? 10 years ?? more than that ??!!
Sincerely Samer Abu Rabie Software Engineer
Nice question! I used to be a 'code monkey' years ago but am now more interested in the overall project rather than just the software This is in part because I've moved around quite a bit and my life has been very unsettled. I'm still not as focussed as I would like to be but finally things are taking off at work and there is something I can get my teeth into again which is another part of it.
Visit http://www.notreadytogiveup.com/[^] and do something special today.
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Developers, thats what we are, but I beleive there are types of them: type of which they are writing code out of fun, and type who writes code out of money, and there is a type of which started as fun and turned to the money part, so ... when do you think this turn will happen?? in 3 years ?? 5 years ?? 10 years ?? more than that ??!!
Sincerely Samer Abu Rabie Software Engineer
I used to code at home from the time I got home from work to the time I went to bed at night, and all day Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. Nowadays I can't stand to look at a computer if I'm not at work. That started around 2001... I've been coding for a living since 1979.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 -
I loose my interest for progamming every six months on my reviews. However, I lose interest in programming at 5:00 pm every work day and don't get it back until 8:00 am the next workday. I don't code for fun at home and my employer strictly forbids contract work on the side.
FyreWyrm wrote:
my employer strictly forbids contract work on the side
That's a crock. What you do on your own time is your business, not theirs, whether it's doing volunteer work for a charity or working as a stripper in a downtown club.
Software Zen:
delete this;
Fold With Us![^] -
Joe Woodbury wrote:
been-there-done that feeling
A few months ago I had a stand up shouting argument with the business who wanted a particular solution which was really stupid and would open up a support nightmare. I eventually got my way by handing in my resignation. It was not accepted and we did it my way. I got a formal letter of thanks from the business user last week when they needed to make yet another change to the structure and found it would be possible under the design we used. Now that don't happen often.
Joe Woodbury wrote:
Now, I'm just working for retirement,
That's got to be painful, at least I'm a contractor and have the option to move to another contract. I'm taking that option in January as this contract has deteriorated to support development.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
Mycroft Holmes wrote:
I eventually got my way by handing in my resignation.
Not many of us have either the life situation or the stones that would let us do that. I've worked at my current employer for a long time, and there have been a couple of instances when I should have done that.
Software Zen:
delete this;
Fold With Us![^] -
Hasn't happened yet, and i've been at it for over half of my life. It's simultaneously my longest-running hobby, occupation, love, and addiction. My wife thinks i need counseling, complaining that i don't pay enough attention to her, spending too much of my life hammering away on the keyboard. "Hey baby," i tell her, "at least i let you watch..." :rolleyes:
Citizen 20.1.01
'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master - that's all.'
Shog9 wrote:
complaining that i don't pay enough attention to her
I doubt that has anything to do with your profession. All wives do that.
Software Zen:
delete this;
Fold With Us![^] -
Mycroft Holmes wrote:
I eventually got my way by handing in my resignation.
Not many of us have either the life situation or the stones that would let us do that. I've worked at my current employer for a long time, and there have been a couple of instances when I should have done that.
Software Zen:
delete this;
Fold With Us![^]Yah - long time contractor so the cost of changing jobs is already factored into my life style. This is the main difference between contractor and FT, and the fact that I don't have to put up with office politics where the food chain is concerned. There are of course down side to each employment type, job security is one for me ;P.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
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I used to code at home from the time I got home from work to the time I went to bed at night, and all day Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. Nowadays I can't stand to look at a computer if I'm not at work. That started around 2001... I've been coding for a living since 1979.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001Mid 80s and I still code on the weekends, evenings are for me, a nice bottle of red and the wife!
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
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Developers, thats what we are, but I beleive there are types of them: type of which they are writing code out of fun, and type who writes code out of money, and there is a type of which started as fun and turned to the money part, so ... when do you think this turn will happen?? in 3 years ?? 5 years ?? 10 years ?? more than that ??!!
Sincerely Samer Abu Rabie Software Engineer
The folks who become developers just to have a way to make money usually don't remain developers over the long term. They're the ones who shift over into management, because their goal is money, rather than the craft. I realized several years ago I had reached a ceiling in my earnings, because I was neither interested in nor had the aptitude for a shift to management. I think the last "coding for fun" I did was when I wrote my one and only article here at CP, and that was five years ago. At that, the code in the article had its start with some code I wrote at work. When I was younger, I wrote code at home quite a bit. I think the most involved projects were on my old TRS-80 Model 100[^]. I wrote a matrix calculator and a text formatter based on DEC RUNOFF. While I still enjoy what I do for a living, after a while you have to start developing a life other than work. Having a family, physical activities, and other interests is a lot healthier. I believe having a more rounded lifestyle makes me a better developer than if I spent all of my time in front of the screen.
Software Zen:
delete this;
Fold With Us![^] -
FyreWyrm wrote:
my employer strictly forbids contract work on the side
That sucks. Even if it is non-competitive?
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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FyreWyrm wrote:
I don't code for fun at home and my employer strictly forbids contract work on the side.
Hmmm, you must be in highly secretive work.... In all my previous jobs, the contract explicitly forbids working for competotrs and alike only, while leaving plenty of space for the side job as long as it is disclosed to the boss. The disclosure was introduced after someone was suspected for working for competitor secretly on the side. :-O
Yusuf
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Yeah. I'm not for sure why though. As it was explained to me, they are afraid we will use logic patterns from our business software in another project because it's what we've been taught to do.
FyreWyrm wrote:
they are afraid we will use logic patterns from our business software in another project because it's what we've been taught to do.
That's a weak argument on their part. I would have said bye-bye.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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FyreWyrm wrote:
I don't code for fun at home and my employer strictly forbids contract work on the side.
Hmmm, you must be in highly secretive work.... In all my previous jobs, the contract explicitly forbids working for competotrs and alike only, while leaving plenty of space for the side job as long as it is disclosed to the boss. The disclosure was introduced after someone was suspected for working for competitor secretly on the side. :-O
Yusuf
Yusuf wrote:
ontract explicitly forbids working for competotrs
That's understandable. I cannot go with a competitor of my client while working for them. They are a marketing firm, so they are interested in things I develop for my own and it is something they can market for me. It is a good two way street working relationship.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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No, it's not secretive. My company is just run by old guys that are deathly afraid of corporate espionage.
FyreWyrm wrote:
company is just run by old guys that are deathly afraid of corporate espionage
Maybe some chill pills might help :rolleyes:
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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FyreWyrm wrote:
my employer strictly forbids contract work on the side
That's a crock. What you do on your own time is your business, not theirs, whether it's doing volunteer work for a charity or working as a stripper in a downtown club.
Software Zen:
delete this;
Fold With Us![^]I completely agree. I don't like they're attitude towards outside work, but I'm not gonna fight it. The main reason I don't program for fun at home is I don't have time. My two-year-old occupies any time in my days that are not devoted to working. I wouldn't have it any other way.
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Developers, thats what we are, but I beleive there are types of them: type of which they are writing code out of fun, and type who writes code out of money, and there is a type of which started as fun and turned to the money part, so ... when do you think this turn will happen?? in 3 years ?? 5 years ?? 10 years ?? more than that ??!!
Sincerely Samer Abu Rabie Software Engineer
