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Hmmm, "And if you go in on a Saturday afternoon, I can tell you which start-ups will succeed, without even knowing what they do. Being there on the weekend is a

Hmmm, "And if you go in on a Saturday afternoon, I can tell you which start-ups will succeed, without even knowing what they do. Being there on the weekend is a huge indicator of success" - Marissa Mayer Maybe you can get away with doing just your job and going home to relax. I would wager, you may have difficulty finding your next job however. Have you never programmed so much you start having dreams that it takes steps to breath and you subsequently have a difficult time breathing? The physical toll takes years to manifest. I am in my 30s. If I did not exercise at least every other day I would not be able to continue doing what I do. You are most likely in your early 20s. Wait and see what a lifetime of programming does to your nervous system. I would not be surprised if a study reveals programming causes brain damage.

ad-hominem 10y ago
> And if you go in on a Saturday afternoon, I can tell you which start-ups will succeed, without even knowing what they do. Being there on the weekend is a huge indicator of success" - Marissa Mayer Perhaps (perhaps) this applies to startups. > Maybe you can get away with doing just your job and going home to relax. Most professionals do this, yes. > I would wager, you may have difficulty finding your next job however. Presuming he is actually a skilled programmer, almost certainly not. > Have you never programmed so much you start having dreams that it takes steps to breath and you subsequently have a difficult time breathing? This is not normal, if this is your experience from working perhaps you should look into changing companies / careers. Please, do not take your own health lightly. If this is what your job is doing to your body, you need to find a new job. > The physical toll takes years to manifest. I am in my 30s. If I did not exercise at least every other day I would not be able to continue doing what I do. It's good that you're exercising, but as a 30 something developer myself, I have never, ever felt like my job is taking a toll on my body. Even in my periods of most sedentary laziness. Perhaps your experience is not indicative of others' experiences? > You are most likely in your early 20s. Wait and see what a lifetime of programming does to your nervous system. I would love to see studies that point to any type of harm from programming. Not sitting at an office desk, but programming specifically. > I would not be surprised if a study reveals programming causes brain damage. Oh, I see, haha, you've been joking this whole time, good one! I really thought you were serious.
nommm-nommm 10y ago
>Maybe you can get away with doing just your job and going home to relax. I would wager, you may have difficulty finding your next job however. That's just not how it works outside the Valley. I've only crammed extra hours in to meet a deadline a few days a year, and only at one company. I've worked at 3 different companies in two different cities 400 miles away. Nobody expected 80 hours a week or whatever and I, quite frankly, wouldn't do it because I value time with my family and I'm not productive 80 hours a week. We also highly value experienced programmers and they command a higher salary. I don't have a government job either and I never have. "Valley culture" isn't synonymous with programming as a profession. Any Marissa Mayer? Isn't she mocked for her poor leadership? There's a lot more to running a successful business than people being physically present on Saturdays. You're running into quite the hyperbole. If programming literally makes your lungs stop working why keep doing it? >You are most likely in your early 20s. I am in my late 30s. Programming in general is a really good cushy job. Valley culture is what is toxic. I'm sure it you worked construction 80 hours a week for however many years you'd be in much worse shape than if you were getting paid a large salary to write some CRUD app.
- MagicAndi 10y ago
  This. So true. No disrespect to the author of (grand-) parent comment, but working in SV or a startup is not always refelective of working elsewhere (in the US or further afield). I'm based in the UK, and had to endure long working hours/insane deadlines early in my career while working for various consultancy firms. Once I moved away from these 'churn and burn' factories, I made a point of working for employers who take care of their employees. Since then I rarely work weekends (never in my current role), and would rarely work more than the required 45 hours a week. Despite this, I find I'm more productive, and achieve more than I ever did earlier in my career when I was working long hours.

ad-hominem 10y ago

> And if you go in on a Saturday afternoon, I can tell you which start-ups will succeed, without even knowing what they do. Being there on the weekend is a huge indicator of success" - Marissa Mayer Perhaps (perhaps) this applies to startups. > Maybe you can get away with doing just your job and going home to relax. Most professionals do this, yes. > I would wager, you may have difficulty finding your next job however. Presuming he is actually a skilled programmer, almost certainly not. > Have you never programmed so much you start having dreams that it takes steps to breath and you subsequently have a difficult time breathing? This is not normal, if this is your experience from working perhaps you should look into changing companies / careers. Please, do not take your own health lightly. If this is what your job is doing to your body, you need to find a new job. > The physical toll takes years to manifest. I am in my 30s. If I did not exercise at least every other day I would not be able to continue doing what I do. It's good that you're exercising, but as a 30 something developer myself, I have never, ever felt like my job is taking a toll on my body. Even in my periods of most sedentary laziness. Perhaps your experience is not indicative of others' experiences? > You are most likely in your early 20s. Wait and see what a lifetime of programming does to your nervous system. I would love to see studies that point to any type of harm from programming. Not sitting at an office desk, but programming specifically. > I would not be surprised if a study reveals programming causes brain damage. Oh, I see, haha, you've been joking this whole time, good one! I really thought you were serious.

nommm-nommm 10y ago

>Maybe you can get away with doing just your job and going home to relax. I would wager, you may have difficulty finding your next job however. That's just not how it works outside the Valley. I've only crammed extra hours in to meet a deadline a few days a year, and only at one company. I've worked at 3 different companies in two different cities 400 miles away. Nobody expected 80 hours a week or whatever and I, quite frankly, wouldn't do it because I value time with my family and I'm not productive 80 hours a week. We also highly value experienced programmers and they command a higher salary. I don't have a government job either and I never have. "Valley culture" isn't synonymous with programming as a profession. Any Marissa Mayer? Isn't she mocked for her poor leadership? There's a lot more to running a successful business than people being physically present on Saturdays. You're running into quite the hyperbole. If programming literally makes your lungs stop working why keep doing it? >You are most likely in your early 20s. I am in my late 30s. Programming in general is a really good cushy job. Valley culture is what is toxic. I'm sure it you worked construction 80 hours a week for however many years you'd be in much worse shape than if you were getting paid a large salary to write some CRUD app.

MagicAndi 10y ago
This. So true. No disrespect to the author of (grand-) parent comment, but working in SV or a startup is not always refelective of working elsewhere (in the US or further afield). I'm based in the UK, and had to endure long working hours/insane deadlines early in my career while working for various consultancy firms. Once I moved away from these 'churn and burn' factories, I made a point of working for employers who take care of their employees. Since then I rarely work weekends (never in my current role), and would rarely work more than the required 45 hours a week. Despite this, I find I'm more productive, and achieve more than I ever did earlier in my career when I was working long hours.