Poll: Programming For Fun Or Work

[snarfblam]

Do you program as a hobby? For work? Or both?

Im a hobbyist programmer. The only time Ive ever even worked with another person programming was in a VB class in high school, which turned out to be a joke of a class. I have considered involving other people in the larger programming projects Ive started (sometimes I dive into things that really shouldnt be a one-person-job), but I really dont know many programmers who I could ask. Ive considered posting a recommendation in Suggestions, Bugs, and Comments for a forum for finding people to help with small/medium scale non-profit programming projects , but it occured to me that a good deal of programmers on these forums could be strictly professional programmers, so I wanted to see if it would be worth the effort.

 

[mskeel]

I code just for "work", but lets face it, programming and software engineering is sort of a lifestyle kind of activity. Its not just about writing code but how you attack problems in general -- heck, how you think about light shining through open windows (ahhh! the glare!!). Realistically, my job is one of my hobbies (along with running and other sports, reading, and technology in general), which is a pretty cool position to be in. I occasionally hack code purely for fun, but its mostly web/non-.Net stuff -- ruby, php, CSS, etc.

Ive considered posting a recommendation in Suggestions, Bugs, and Comments for a forum for finding people to help with small/medium scale non-profit programming projects...

Try sourceforge or Got Dot Net. There are plenty of fledgling projects to work on and they are free communities so you can add to the mayhem if you wanted.

 

[snarfblam]

Try sourceforge or Got Dot Net. There are plenty of fledgling projects to work on and they are free communities so you can add to the mayhem if you wanted.

Fair enough. Definitely looking into it, but I think the sort of programming I do is very recreational. Not simply in that it is a hobby, but that it doesnt matter if its already been done or even really whether or not people will find practical uses for it (but I suppose that helps); it is more about just making something and having fun doing it. I suppose SourceForge would be more appropriate than a find-a-programming-friend forum, but I suppose Im just interested in something more casual.

Besides that, Im still curious as to whether people program for work or strictly for fun.

P.S. By the way, I guess plenty of people share your sentiment with the "my job is my hobby" attitude. So far everyone who has voted for work has also voted for hobby.

 

[Arch4ngel]

Well yeah... programming for me is a hobby but hey Im doing what I love.

Since then... I only built software for myself that couldnt be found elsewhere for free.

Mass mp3 renamer (with ID3V1, ID3V2 support)
Mass picture downloader
Music collection library
Website Template
etc...

But nothing to advanced. Just enough to show off that I was able to do it.

However I would be interested in casual programming of a common task.

The only thing missing is an interesting project that is properly separated in tasks.

 

[irasmith]

I too program for work and as a hobby. I find pleasure in it and enjoy learning new things as technology changes. While I do spend a lot of time at the keyboard, I do get out and do all the normal people stuff such as mowing the yard, trimming the hedges, staining/paiting, and even go on a cave trip now and again.

Sourceforge is perhaps the most well known site for group related projects due in part to its nature in Open Source material that powers it such as Linux and the Sourceforge software. GotDotNet is the MS one to help get interest in Open Source .NET based projects. Novell even has its own forge now.

On any of these public group sites you will find projects ranging from very relaxed and informal to very structured and organized. These sites are of necessity because of the way they permit the sharing of source code among developers on the project. It saves having someone in the project set up a server at their place and make it publically available to everyone involved in the project.

 

[Jay1b]

I program for hobbie and work. But after i arrive home at 6 working 6 days a week, cook, washup, go to the gym, see friends, see the girlfriend and do other chores such as cleaning the bathroom. I usually get about 30 mins a night to myself. In which ill watch tele or play pc games....i just dont get time to programme now.

 

[Denaes]

I program for Fun & Work.

For fun, Ive started a dozen apps and never finished one. I always choose something really complex and then get interested in something else.

 

[techmanbd]

Work. I create test applications that run test equipment. I have done a couple for fun. Mostly to learn .NET. I wrote a program for a bingo game that use to be on DISH Satellite to make it easier. But they stopped that show. I am sure if I were to look at the program today, though it worked really well, that I would think to myself, "What was I thinking? I should have done this". But that is what is fun about programming. Always learning new ways to do things.

 

[Malfunction]

i dont like programming too much. i like the idea of finding new solutions but once i found it its boring to implement the whole solution.

coding in my freetime is a nono. you really have to do some sports to not to end up as a dino.

 

[snarfblam]

The implementation is part of the solution, and it is not necessarily busy work, but it can be where the most challenge and thinking is involved. You can sketch out a program and an object model in you head, but once you start coding you find that in order for object A to communicate with object B, or to get certain types of input from a user, or to make your UI consistent you must do alot of rethinking. Thats what I like. Entertaining my brain with the pure logic in program code.

More importantly, for me, programming is not my job, it is my hobby. I get enough exercise at work, and when I get home it is nice to sit down for a while... what a perfect time to program, no? Use my body at work and my mind at home. If you prefer vice-versa, thats certainly fine. I, personally, would never want to program for work, or do any computer work, period, to make a living, because that is my hobby and as much as it sounds nice to "have a job doing what you love," the fact is that that job turns what you love into a chore.

 

[mskeel]

I used to think similarly to that, marble_eater -- dont do what you like too much because youll ruin it. Over time I realized that I was actually denying myself what I enjoyed the most. Turning your perfect job into a chore is certainly possible, but there are so many companies out there today that were started by smart people who know how to make coders happy that you really have the option not to do chores if you dont want to. Case in point: 37Signals and Fog Creek Software. Heck, even on this board it sounds like Nersuss company is extremely dynamic and Black Knight (my company) bends over backwards to make us as happy as possible -- thats in both compensation AND challenging work.

Its probably youre thinking that is what has lead us to this point in tons of great places to work: "I love my hobby. I wish I could get paid for my hobby. I dont want to work in a place that will turn it into a chore. Ill start my own business..."

...i like the idea of finding new solutions but once i found it its boring to implement the whole solution.

Im with Malfunction for the most part. Ive got an attention span of about one month for a new solution. Thats usually about enough time to spec everything out and get side tracked by something else. The devil really is in the details and if it comes to a new technology that isnt immediately rewarding I usually have a hard time with it -- especially in free time. I think thats one of the reasons why Ive started to become more interested in higher level issues like usability and general software engineering practices. I still write code, and a lot of it, but its the higher level problems that have really started to itch recently for some reason. I still like to see a project through to completion, but its hard to stick with one thing for so long when there are so many interesting problems out there that need solving.

 

[snarfblam]

I think that your and malfunctions point of view comes from the fact that you program for a living (assuming that that is what malfunction does for a living). Yes, you might still enjoy your work, but even if you still program in your spare time, and even if you enjoy doing so, it takes the "hobby" part out of it. And when you get to that point, I think thats where you are going to lose interest in the details (which is probably what you concentrate on the most at work) and pay more attention to the "bigger picture."

My point of view, concentrating on the details instead of a more advanced or unique conception, might seem inane and uninspired, but Im not looking to build something new and exciting. Im simply looking to explore logic and learn new things. Besides, I see as much beauty in the details as I do in the whole of something.

 

[mskeel]

My point of view, concentrating on the details instead of a more advanced or unique conception, might seem inane and uninspired, but Im not looking to build something new and exciting.

I dont think its inane or uninspired at all. If that is your passion then pursue it with everything youve got. Besides, without someone good to look at the details, the greatest ideas would never become real.

For some reason Im reminded of a conversation I once had with the brew master at a microbrew in Ithaca, NY (I brew beer as a hobby...and work on a program to help me log my recipes ). His observation was that when most people start drinking *real* beer, they almost always start with lagers. After a while, they branch out into ales. Theyll usually start with something pretty mild like an amber or brown before working their way up to the really strong IPAs and stouts. Ive heard the same said about wine -- folks usually start with sweet whites, and end up loving dry reds.

Id wager there is a similar maturing or progression in programming. Start by writing code and move on to other aspects of building software. Now, all that said, though I think there is nothing better than a bitter, hand drawn IPA (Cags, Im sure, knows what Im talking about), I still have a sweet spot for the occasional high life or pabst.

 

[Cags]

You cant beat a good pint. Im quite partial to a pint of Directors myself, its not available in many pubs around here though so I generally settle for a Guiness or a pint of Smooth or possibly a Beamish if its available.

 

[mskeel]

Cags, if youre "settling" for Guiness or Beamish, Directors must be awesome. Im taking a trip to the UK in a few weeks so Ill see if I can find it on tap somewhere.

 

[Cags]

Its all a matter of taste Im sure. Perhaps I only like Directors so much because you cant find it in many places. Ive been drinking Old Speckled Hen tonight, another nice ale.

 

[AFterlife]

I use to program for home business.Now I only program for fun.

 

[MTSkull]

I program for work mostly but for fun sometimes.

One way i learn a new language is to try and program a simple challenge in the new language. That keeps me interested and it gets me into the syntax. For C# I tried to program an anagram generator but never got it working quite right. Still tinker with it at odd times but have pretty much shelved it for the time being.

 

[grip003]

I spend most of my time programming at work, so I dont get to do much programming for fun. I program database/business applications at work, but I usually program games for fun. I find that I learn a lot more when I am programming for fun, mostly because I dont have to be productive when I am not on a timeline. It gives me the freedom to just try stuff to see how things will work. I then can bring that knowledge back to the office and apply the new stuff to my work applications.

 

[Eduardo Lorenzo]

I love to program and I get paid to do it.