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Programming Is Not Fun

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Re: Programming Is Not Fun

#21

Post by derefr »

runT1ME wrote: post #18

What an interesting claim! That's like saying 'plucking strings on a guitar is not fun'. Well, no, if you're just doing it to see what it's like, or hell, I imagine even playing a really crappy annoying song is rather miserable. However, if you're composing and playing something beautiful, well, it's probably one of the most enjoyable things you can do.

But in the case of composing/playing, you're having fun despite plucking strings, not because of it. If we could play the guitar without having to actually touch one, I imagine we would.

In the same way, if we could make computers do amazing things without programming, surely, we would. Of course, we can't—though being a manager of programmers comes close :)

Re: Programming Is Not Fun

#22

Post by marssaxman »

devmonk wrote: post #15
wccrawford wrote: post #11

I got news for you: Yes it is. I love it. It was my hobby when I was young. So much so, that I thought working in the field would kill the fun of it, so I avoided that. Eventually, needing a career (and not just a job), I went into programming professionally. It didn't kill the fun. In fact, it's now more fun than ever. Programming is fun.

Have you done at least 10-15 years of it and are still a coder and not a manager?

18 years, here: still coding, still loving it, no interest in becoming a manager.

Re: Programming Is Not Fun

#24

Post by Steve_Baker »

wccrawford wrote: post #11

I got news for you: Yes it is. I love it. It was my hobby when I was young. So much so, that I thought working in the field would kill the fun of it, so I avoided that. Eventually, needing a career (and not just a job), I went into programming professionally. It didn't kill the fun. In fact, it's now more fun than ever. Programming is fun.

I'd tend to agree, but for myself I think what I enjoyed most about programming was the problem solving aspect. As I've matured as a programmer the problems become easier and thus less interesting and there seems to be less and less undiscovered country. I wonder how to get that feeling of exploration back and I think I should blame myself for not having the time or energy to explore harder problems.

I do think the author is misplacing his angst, it isn't programming itself, it's the business of programming that sucks. How to fix it though?

Re: Programming Is Not Fun

#27

Post by _delirium »

runT1ME wrote: post #18

What an interesting claim! That's like saying 'plucking strings on a guitar is not fun'. Well, no, if you're just doing it to see what it's like, or hell, I imagine even playing a really crappy annoying song is rather miserable. However, if you're composing and playing something beautiful, well, it's probably one of the most enjoyable things you can do.

I could easily see playing an instrument turning not-fun if you do it as a full-time job, especially if you're doing it as an employee with minimal creative control, in a fairly big organization, which is the place a lot of programmers find themselves.

The musician version might be: playing guitar in a Las Vegas casino's house band. Pays the bills, but it's not many musicians' dream, and it surely gets un-fun after a few weeks, let alone years.

Re: Programming Is Not Fun

#28

Post by bugsy »

I derive great personal satisfaction from creating new useful things that are of high quality.

Most of the process of doing so is a pain in the butt though, and is neither fun nor easy.

Sure, it can be fun to hack together some little script that no one but myself will ever use and which only contains the exact features I need. Making something of commercial quality with intuitive usability amazingly not ruined by a deep feature set is a completely different issue though.

A lot of people who say programming is always fun seem to primarily release unusable open source stuff that is a nightmare to fix to get it working at all on any computer other than the developer's own machine, or they only work on trivial problems in a limited domain.

Re: Programming Is Not Fun

#29

Post by edw519 »

Sorry, but I couldn't resist changing "Programming" to "Sex" to see what would happen...

Sex Is Not Fun

Then you're doing it wrong.

Most Sex Is Boring

Find a new partner.

It's the Same Thrust, Over and Over Again

That's how it's supposed to work.

Lack of a Sex-Centric Career Path

Then make it your hobby.

Everyone Seems to Suck

Are you bragging or complaining?

Women Are Clueless, and They Make Unreasonable Demands

Take a Viagra.

Isolation

Your hand is your friend.

Things Change Too Fast

You took too many Viagra.

No Free Time

Do 2 things at once.

Lack of Recognition

"Oh, you're so good! You're so good!" Happy?

Your wife is a WellspringOfNegativity

Thrust deeper.

You're Surrounded by a Bunch of Geeks

Get better curtains.

You Never Feel Like You Accomplish Anything

Turn her over.

Fun is not an attribute of sex

Get some toys.

Sex Is Not Fun without Philosophy

Read the Kama Sutra.

Work in Sex Only If You're Hardcore

No argument here.

Re: Programming Is Not Fun

#30

Post by imasr »

edw519 wrote: post #29

Sorry, but I couldn't resist changing "Programming" to "Sex" to see what would happen... Sex Is Not Fun Then you're doing it wrong. Most Sex Is Boring Find a new partner. It's the Same Thrust, Over and Over Again That's how it's supposed to work. Lack of a Sex-Centric Career Path Then make it your hobby. Everyone Seems to Suck Are you bragging or complaining? Women Are Clueless, and They Make Unreasonable Demands Tak…

I'd give you 100 votes if I could! (gave you one, though)
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