I agree that it is impossible to quantify productivity, but I believe it is not only possible, but _essential_ to inspect it. I like to think that most program

I agree that it is impossible to quantify productivity, but I believe it is not only possible, but _essential_ to inspect it. I like to think that most programmers enjoy being productive, and strive for increased productivity (rather than working just for a paycheck). I therefore also believe that programmers expend great effort over the course of their careers optimizing their work habits to maximize productivity. All programmers are different, but none of us is completely different from all others. There is much to be gained from examining what the others have learned in the process of programming. The danger in this is thinking that there is some objective Truth in programming productivity. So, Bob disagrees with Alice over what makes a programmer productive. Assuming both Bob and Alice are effective programmers, what we should really be examining are the ideas they have in common. For me, reading programming blogs from around the Internet gives me a giant mental Venn diagram--the ideas in the center are what I focus on.