The software industry's debt to South/Central America
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So I was cleaning my coffee grinder this morning and dropped the little feeder thingie, which proceeded to chip off a number of important bits. After a brief panic, I managed to super-glue it back together, but it reminded me of the perhaps oft casually considered but seldom spoken debt that the software industry owes to South/Central America. Could it actually even be over-estimated? I'm not sure it could. How many lines of code a year are written under the influence of coffee? What's one of the few, or possible even the only, consistently free amenity that software companies offer their employees? Of course coffee isn't the only stimulative product from Central America, and others may have often contributed. But coffee is far and away the fuel that powers the software industry. You'd think that the big companies would have long since made moves to consolidate their control over this important resource, sort of the way the US moved to control pitchblende deposits in the early 40s once it became apparent what sort of energies here hiding in there.
This meme I encountered says it all for me:
Quote:
Coffee spelled backwards is eeffoc. Just know that I don't give eeffoc until I've had my coffee.
Cheers, Mike Fidler "I intend to live forever - so far, so good." Steven Wright "I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met." Also Steven Wright "I'm addicted to placebos. I could quit, but it wouldn't matter." Steven Wright yet again.
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I just checked and the coffee I've been drinking for a while now is from Guatemala and Brazil. It's single estate stuff, or claims to be, that for whatever reason happens to actually be available in stores here in the rural'ish South East. I'd have to make a bit of a drive to get better.
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So I was cleaning my coffee grinder this morning and dropped the little feeder thingie, which proceeded to chip off a number of important bits. After a brief panic, I managed to super-glue it back together, but it reminded me of the perhaps oft casually considered but seldom spoken debt that the software industry owes to South/Central America. Could it actually even be over-estimated? I'm not sure it could. How many lines of code a year are written under the influence of coffee? What's one of the few, or possible even the only, consistently free amenity that software companies offer their employees? Of course coffee isn't the only stimulative product from Central America, and others may have often contributed. But coffee is far and away the fuel that powers the software industry. You'd think that the big companies would have long since made moves to consolidate their control over this important resource, sort of the way the US moved to control pitchblende deposits in the early 40s once it became apparent what sort of energies here hiding in there.
Dean Roddey wrote:
How many lines of code a year are written under the influence of coffee?
In my case coffee serves the following two purposes: (1) Brown stuff with cream and sweetener is a required part of my morning. There must be many cups of the stuff. My doctor has convinced me to reduce it to 33% caffeinated, but has no problems with the quantity (a pot-full a day). (2) As long as (1) is met, I won't have my big debut on CNN in the afternoon and I let the rest of you live.
Software Zen:
delete this; -
"single estate"... is that the coffee equivalent of "single barrel"? I'd definitely prefer the latter (I don't drink coffee). :-)
It would be like the wine world's single vineyard I guess. I.e. it's not just some big seller going around and grabbing beans/grapes from various places and blending it all together, losing the specific characteristics of a particular grape/bean. Not that some coffee blends aren't good, but (in theory at least) single estate/vineyard stuff is more 'ground level' and gives the growers an alternate route to market than the bulk sellers. Of course maybe in reality it's meet the new boss, same as the old boss, I dunno.
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So I was cleaning my coffee grinder this morning and dropped the little feeder thingie, which proceeded to chip off a number of important bits. After a brief panic, I managed to super-glue it back together, but it reminded me of the perhaps oft casually considered but seldom spoken debt that the software industry owes to South/Central America. Could it actually even be over-estimated? I'm not sure it could. How many lines of code a year are written under the influence of coffee? What's one of the few, or possible even the only, consistently free amenity that software companies offer their employees? Of course coffee isn't the only stimulative product from Central America, and others may have often contributed. But coffee is far and away the fuel that powers the software industry. You'd think that the big companies would have long since made moves to consolidate their control over this important resource, sort of the way the US moved to control pitchblende deposits in the early 40s once it became apparent what sort of energies here hiding in there.
I thought that's why we had the Munroe Doctrine?
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So I was cleaning my coffee grinder this morning and dropped the little feeder thingie, which proceeded to chip off a number of important bits. After a brief panic, I managed to super-glue it back together, but it reminded me of the perhaps oft casually considered but seldom spoken debt that the software industry owes to South/Central America. Could it actually even be over-estimated? I'm not sure it could. How many lines of code a year are written under the influence of coffee? What's one of the few, or possible even the only, consistently free amenity that software companies offer their employees? Of course coffee isn't the only stimulative product from Central America, and others may have often contributed. But coffee is far and away the fuel that powers the software industry. You'd think that the big companies would have long since made moves to consolidate their control over this important resource, sort of the way the US moved to control pitchblende deposits in the early 40s once it became apparent what sort of energies here hiding in there.
Since more of my time is spent on writing text, not code, coffee is not helpful. "Write drunk, edit sober" Hemingway.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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ZurdoDev wrote:
n 20 years of doing development work, I've never worked with another developer that drank coffee, including myself.
That's very weird, with how many developers have you worked with? I actually never worked with another developer that did not drink off. I am always the weird'o that does not drink coffee. And I have worked with MANY developers and never met a single one that is not fueled by coffee except me. I am however fueled by caffeine through either capsules or energy drinks, just because I don't like the taste of coffee.
To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems - Homer Simpson ---- Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction - Francis Picabia
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So I was cleaning my coffee grinder this morning and dropped the little feeder thingie, which proceeded to chip off a number of important bits. After a brief panic, I managed to super-glue it back together, but it reminded me of the perhaps oft casually considered but seldom spoken debt that the software industry owes to South/Central America. Could it actually even be over-estimated? I'm not sure it could. How many lines of code a year are written under the influence of coffee? What's one of the few, or possible even the only, consistently free amenity that software companies offer their employees? Of course coffee isn't the only stimulative product from Central America, and others may have often contributed. But coffee is far and away the fuel that powers the software industry. You'd think that the big companies would have long since made moves to consolidate their control over this important resource, sort of the way the US moved to control pitchblende deposits in the early 40s once it became apparent what sort of energies here hiding in there.
Coffee and software development? Not by a long shot. Coffee is kids' stuff. There's a reason Jolt Cola[^] is the namesake for a 26+ year excellence in software award Jolt Awards - Deletionpedia.org[^]
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Coffee and software development? Not by a long shot. Coffee is kids' stuff. There's a reason Jolt Cola[^] is the namesake for a 26+ year excellence in software award Jolt Awards - Deletionpedia.org[^]
You kids and your hard drugs...
Explorans limites defectum
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You kids and your hard drugs...
Explorans limites defectum
LOL! I guess if one would want buggy, non-working code hallucinogens would be the way to go. Regardless, there were a number of 100+ hour work weeks living off (c)old pizza and soda in my past. You might as well hooked us up an IV for the Jolt colas we were downing to get the project finished on time.
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LOL! I guess if one would want buggy, non-working code hallucinogens would be the way to go. Regardless, there were a number of 100+ hour work weeks living off (c)old pizza and soda in my past. You might as well hooked us up an IV for the Jolt colas we were downing to get the project finished on time.
Sufficient levels of sufficiently potent coffee can accomplish a lot. When I first went out on my own, for the first 5 years I worked 80 to 100 hours a week, without a single day off. That sounds fantastical but it's true. A 'day off' was only working 10 or 12 hours so that I could squeeze in a movie before going to bed. I was wound up like you wouldn't believe, and more than a bit snappish sometimes. For the last year'ish or so I've started using a little one cup coffee press from fresh ground beans. I'm drinking less than I used to, but it's really good when you make it that way, and pretty punchy as well.
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Sufficient levels of sufficiently potent coffee can accomplish a lot. When I first went out on my own, for the first 5 years I worked 80 to 100 hours a week, without a single day off. That sounds fantastical but it's true. A 'day off' was only working 10 or 12 hours so that I could squeeze in a movie before going to bed. I was wound up like you wouldn't believe, and more than a bit snappish sometimes. For the last year'ish or so I've started using a little one cup coffee press from fresh ground beans. I'm drinking less than I used to, but it's really good when you make it that way, and pretty punchy as well.
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I hear you. Been there, done that type of work too. It's a grind on one's mind and body! But after just under 30 years of slinging code, I'm glad I'm able to put that kind of work behind. This fella now needs his sleep.
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I hear you. Been there, done that type of work too. It's a grind on one's mind and body! But after just under 30 years of slinging code, I'm glad I'm able to put that kind of work behind. This fella now needs his sleep.
I just went over thirty years myself, last year. But I've kept up the pace all that time, which says something about my social life obviously. Not quite at THAT pace, but I've kept up roughly a 2x rate ever since. My product (an automation system called CQC) is very deep and broad, and no matter how fast I run I'll never even see the finish line, much less get there. I've started posting some articles about some of the technologies I've created as part of that project.
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