Programmer Momentum
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Satan has relayed a rhetorical question to be asked on this thread: "Is it the case that programmer productivity is linearly related to depth of concentration/absorption in coding ?" While I hesitate, for evil reasons, to explicate Satan's words, I would guess that would translate into asking something like: are some programmers equally/more productive in a high-interrupt environment ?
«I'm asked why doesn't C# implement feature X all the time. The answer's always the same: because no one ever designed, specified, implemented, tested, documented, shipped that feature. All six of those things are necessary to make a feature happen. They all cost huge amounts of time, effort and money.» Eric Lippert, Microsoft, 2009
Of course Satan is only trying to confuse your mind! Because he's afraid of the science in the blog post! (FWIW, if it isn't clear the "work progress" in the highly scientific charts is measured in "dozens of baby seals culled".) --- "Don't interrupt us" is a message that bears repeating - insasmuch as it's right to the best of our knowledge. However, we as a profession have a tendency to believe in fantastic stories: how being interrupted derailed my project etc.
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I work so fast I'm always finished.
Mrs PIEBALDconsult must be disappointed with that.
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Mrs PIEBALDconsult must be disappointed with that.
Don't get me wrong, I can tell when she's not finished.
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I work so fast I'm always finished.
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Satan has relayed a rhetorical question to be asked on this thread: "Is it the case that programmer productivity is linearly related to depth of concentration/absorption in coding ?" While I hesitate, for evil reasons, to explicate Satan's words, I would guess that would translate into asking something like: are some programmers equally/more productive in a high-interrupt environment ?
«I'm asked why doesn't C# implement feature X all the time. The answer's always the same: because no one ever designed, specified, implemented, tested, documented, shipped that feature. All six of those things are necessary to make a feature happen. They all cost huge amounts of time, effort and money.» Eric Lippert, Microsoft, 2009
BillWoodruff wrote:
"Is it the case that programmer productivity is linearly related to depth of concentration/absorption in coding ?"
I think that may be backward -- concentration/absorption flows from productivity.
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BillWoodruff wrote:
"Is it the case that programmer productivity is linearly related to depth of concentration/absorption in coding ?"
I think that may be backward -- concentration/absorption flows from productivity.
PIEBALDconsult wrote:
concentration/absorption flows from productivity.
That's a very interesting hypothesis. I think William James, who said that we feel sadness because we cry, and humor because we are laughing, might have signed-on for that. In this area (concentration, absorption, produtivity, and "mental state") I am most impressed by the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's work on "flow," and "peak mental states" [^]. In my experience with other programmers, I have seen a variety of types of personalities with very different levels of tolerance and reactivity to "frequency of interruption," and very different patterns of "warming-up" to concentrated mental activity.
«I'm asked why doesn't C# implement feature X all the time. The answer's always the same: because no one ever designed, specified, implemented, tested, documented, shipped that feature. All six of those things are necessary to make a feature happen. They all cost huge amounts of time, effort and money.» Eric Lippert, Microsoft, 2009
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The programmer never lies. If he says 15 minutes, its 15 minutes, but he doesn't specify if they are Earth's 15 mins. Anyway its just boring details :)
Microsoft ... the only place where VARIANT_TRUE != true
Argonia wrote:
Anyway its just boring details
I have noticed that this phrase seems to be a mantra used in the religion of short-attention=span.
«I'm asked why doesn't C# implement feature X all the time. The answer's always the same: because no one ever designed, specified, implemented, tested, documented, shipped that feature. All six of those things are necessary to make a feature happen. They all cost huge amounts of time, effort and money.» Eric Lippert, Microsoft, 2009
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On the contrary. Work is often an interruption to the momentum of enjoying life, albeit a necessary one so one can get back to the momentum of living. We would do well to remember that. :) Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project!
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Argonia wrote:
Anyway its just boring details
I have noticed that this phrase seems to be a mantra used in the religion of short-attention=span.
«I'm asked why doesn't C# implement feature X all the time. The answer's always the same: because no one ever designed, specified, implemented, tested, documented, shipped that feature. All six of those things are necessary to make a feature happen. They all cost huge amounts of time, effort and money.» Eric Lippert, Microsoft, 2009
oohh.. shiny...
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough." Alan Kay.