> good accountants don't balance checkbooks in their spare > time, do they? How much did balancing checkbooks changed compared to that of 20 years ago? >

> good accountants don't balance checkbooks in their spare > time, do they? How much did balancing checkbooks changed compared to that of 20 years ago? > lawyers don't hold mock trials IANAL, but I assume a big part of lawyers work is that would be considered "side project" in programming, namely going through different cases and looking for stuff that can be useful. > doctors don't do surgery on their friends as side projects Doctors don't experiment easily on one hand, and on the other hand, if I am not mistaken there is some mandatory training once in a while to ensure that doctors are informed of the latest best practices in the field. > construction workers don't pour concrete for kicks on the weekend Are we talking about code monkeys there? The thing is: software development is still young and evolving field. Unless your employer sends you to the training courses, conferences, and has some kind of "20% for own project" rule the side projects is pretty much the only way to learn new things and experiment.