6 ms·

Someone asked on reddit a couple of weeks back why, when they sit with a coding problem for 4 hours at work the solution suddenly comes to them in 5 minutes the

Someone asked on reddit a couple of weeks back why, when they sit with a coding problem for 4 hours at work the solution suddenly comes to them in 5 minutes the next day. I think your colleague's 30 hour week might be allowing time for him to think about his work without being at a desk doing his work. In other words, when he isn't being forced to make a show of presence he is working through solutions and processes in his mind. I work where we fill out time sheets every day detailing what we worked on hour by hour (in part and in fairness also for billing reasons). It is counterproductive as I constantly stress about every minute I use on a task and worry I am taking too long. The results I see are those of programmers trying to please project managers and billing accounts, not good products that are optimized. Nobody seems to have time make something good. The 30 hour guy probably isn't much smarter than the rest of us, he might just have the freedom to create with a relaxed mind. Stress apparently blocks creativity.

gjvc 10y ago
"freedom to create with a relaxed mind" -- as I read this I realised that's what I've been missing for so long, and is what I try (mostly without success) to make time for outside of work. "Stress apparently blocks creativity" -- most certainly does.
ufukbay 10y ago
I left a company with great work/life balance but rather average or even low salary after 2 1/2 years for a startup but after a month into the job they introduced those stupid stopwatch JIRA plugins to measure time spent on tickets plus time sheets. I know not everyone can maybe afford to do this but this is something I'm never going to put up with and I left after only 3 months purely out of frustration without even having a new gig. (Was quite suprised to be approached immediately by a subsidiary of a well known online auction house, where I'm still working for 2 years now.) If you don't have a family (wife + kids) be bold and don't put up with such inhuman conditions. Developers are high in demand and this is the time to use the opportunity.
- blowski 10y ago
  Are you really saying that having to record timesheets counts as 'inhuman conditions'? That's the way I read your comment, sorry if it's not what you meant. But if it is what you meant, then I urge you to read about modern human slavery, domestic servitude, sex trafficking, etc, and reconsider.
  - Retric 10y ago
    Something is not ok just because other things are worse.
  - ufukbay 10y ago
    @Retric: Exactly my thoughts. Amazing how you could express it in one short, concise sentence! :)
    - blowski 10y ago
      Something is not 'abuse' just because you don't want to do it. Workplace abuse has a specific definition and being asked to keep time sheets does not meet it by a long way.
- tostitos1979 10y ago
  Kudos to you. If all developers acted this way, we'd have a lot less abuse. I doubt any sane developer would come up with the idea of a stopwatch plugin on programming tasks. But I know some PMs who would. It is scary how being well-spoken and technically oblivious leads people to success in our industry.
  - blowski 10y ago
    No, asking people to log time is not abuse. Perhaps it's counter-productive (but even that's debatable as it depends on a lot of things). But it most definitely is not abuse. Abuse is having the shit kicked out of you for answering back. Or being locked in a room for 48 hours without food or drink because you made a mistake. Or having your passport taken away and being forced to work for 18 hour days, 7 days per week, with no holiday and no pay. All these things are happening in our world today, and equating them with programmers having to keep timesheets is ridiculous. It makes us sound like a bunch of spoiled babies who cry when we aren't allowed to play all day. So please use a different word than 'abuse' to describe something you prefer not to do at work.

gjvc 10y ago

"freedom to create with a relaxed mind" -- as I read this I realised that's what I've been missing for so long, and is what I try (mostly without success) to make time for outside of work. "Stress apparently blocks creativity" -- most certainly does.

ufukbay 10y ago

I left a company with great work/life balance but rather average or even low salary after 2 1/2 years for a startup but after a month into the job they introduced those stupid stopwatch JIRA plugins to measure time spent on tickets plus time sheets. I know not everyone can maybe afford to do this but this is something I'm never going to put up with and I left after only 3 months purely out of frustration without even having a new gig. (Was quite suprised to be approached immediately by a subsidiary of a well known online auction house, where I'm still working for 2 years now.) If you don't have a family (wife + kids) be bold and don't put up with such inhuman conditions. Developers are high in demand and this is the time to use the opportunity.

blowski 10y ago
Are you really saying that having to record timesheets counts as 'inhuman conditions'? That's the way I read your comment, sorry if it's not what you meant. But if it is what you meant, then I urge you to read about modern human slavery, domestic servitude, sex trafficking, etc, and reconsider.
- Retric 10y ago
  Something is not ok just because other things are worse.
- ufukbay 10y ago
  @Retric: Exactly my thoughts. Amazing how you could express it in one short, concise sentence! :)
  - blowski 10y ago
    Something is not 'abuse' just because you don't want to do it. Workplace abuse has a specific definition and being asked to keep time sheets does not meet it by a long way.
tostitos1979 10y ago
Kudos to you. If all developers acted this way, we'd have a lot less abuse. I doubt any sane developer would come up with the idea of a stopwatch plugin on programming tasks. But I know some PMs who would. It is scary how being well-spoken and technically oblivious leads people to success in our industry.
- blowski 10y ago
  No, asking people to log time is not abuse. Perhaps it's counter-productive (but even that's debatable as it depends on a lot of things). But it most definitely is not abuse. Abuse is having the shit kicked out of you for answering back. Or being locked in a room for 48 hours without food or drink because you made a mistake. Or having your passport taken away and being forced to work for 18 hour days, 7 days per week, with no holiday and no pay. All these things are happening in our world today, and equating them with programmers having to keep timesheets is ridiculous. It makes us sound like a bunch of spoiled babies who cry when we aren't allowed to play all day. So please use a different word than 'abuse' to describe something you prefer not to do at work.