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Let's hope the kid stays asleep in 5 hour blocks, because that's how long my hacking runs go. Programming doesn't suit people who are constantly distracted; th

by mahmud 17y ago

Let's hope the kid stays asleep in 5 hour blocks, because that's how long my hacking runs go. Programming doesn't suit people who are constantly distracted; the way I cope with others' presence around me is to completely ignore them. I can have conversations for hours on end while I program and not remember any of it. I agree to things, laugh with jokes and listen attentively. All of it a facade, of course; I don't really care about others when hacking. Days run into each other sometimes and you have no idea what went in the world. I wouldn't do this when I have a baby, and I don't recommend it to new parents. Do marketing for 2-3 years, instead, and give that kid full attention when you go home.

anonjon 17y ago
That sounds more like being on a bad opium trip to me than programing (not that I've ever been on an opium trip...). I mean, sure I agree, in certain aspects of the job there is a level of concentration and 'state' that you have to maintain in your skull in order to be able to program properly. But a certain amount of the required 'state' can be alleviated by having a pad of paper next to your desk and writing everything down. The rest of it can be dealt with by writing code that has a simple and sensible structure. And honestly, the majority of my coding is mind-work. I don't have to sit at a computer for 5 hours to be thinking about that piece of code I'm going to write. One I have read the right documentation and I have figured out what the problem is, I normally need a bit of time for it to gel, then I type it into the machine. I think the point of the post was that new mothers need time to bond with their infant. 'Doing marketing' for 2-3 years instead implies to me that they are working the 9-5 grind (which a programmer can theoretically avoid). Which misses the point entirely... There's no reason you can't sit at the computer with the baby right next to you.

by mahmud 17y ago

anonjon 17y ago

That sounds more like being on a bad opium trip to me than programing (not that I've ever been on an opium trip...). I mean, sure I agree, in certain aspects of the job there is a level of concentration and 'state' that you have to maintain in your skull in order to be able to program properly. But a certain amount of the required 'state' can be alleviated by having a pad of paper next to your desk and writing everything down. The rest of it can be dealt with by writing code that has a simple and sensible structure. And honestly, the majority of my coding is mind-work. I don't have to sit at a computer for 5 hours to be thinking about that piece of code I'm going to write. One I have read the right documentation and I have figured out what the problem is, I normally need a bit of time for it to gel, then I type it into the machine. I think the point of the post was that new mothers need time to bond with their infant. 'Doing marketing' for 2-3 years instead implies to me that they are working the 9-5 grind (which a programmer can theoretically avoid). Which misses the point entirely... There's no reason you can't sit at the computer with the baby right next to you.