11–20 of 106 posts
I know this sounds a bit too draconian, but didn't the last administration try to subpoena Google?
It might only be giving you the illusion of helping. Can you benchmark test yourself with and without it?
That being said, I'm 100% sure that I'm far less productive after smoking pot, and I suspect that any reasonable measure of programmer productivity would show the same results for just about everyone.
But I'm also less productive after a few beers, or while watching a movie, or having sex, or eating dinner, or riding my bike. There's more to life than cranking out code. Marijuana feels good and is mostly harmless. Enjoy in moderation!
I have found that my productivity suffers when I lead a less balanced life. Since we programmers tend to fixate, it can be challenging to remember to take a break once in a while. Sometimes, if you don't over-indulge, the things that impair productivity can, in the long run, make your productivity more sustainable.
Or maybe I'm just rationalizing getting high and having fun ;)
You need to look at this study carefully. Essentially, it says if you are a pothead, pot smoking isn't so bad for your cognitive skills. But, that isn't to say that the long term effects of pot didn't already impair you... it just means that once you are used to it, it doesn't hurt you to be smoking it.
The article makes perfect sense really. There is certainly such a thing as a "high-functioning alcoholic." That doesn't mean anyone can get drunk and work well, or that alcohol helps you work. It just means alcoholics have a tolerance.
I confess that I find it surprising that some people here on HN freely admit using Marijuana. Worst-case scenario, couldn't YC be subpoenaed by the feds and requested to provide each user's email and IP address? I know this sounds a bit too draconian, but didn't the last administration try to subpoena Google?
Getting a prescription is as easy as picking a doctor off a list, paying for an appointment, and saying, "I get headaches. Pot helps."
It's available, reasonably priced, and you can have it without being hassled by the authorities. As long as you're not a total idiot about it, it's pretty much just another alcohol. No one cares if you smoke pot on the weekends, as long as you do good work.
I confess that I find it surprising that some people here on HN freely admit using Marijuana. Worst-case scenario, couldn't YC be subpoenaed by the feds and requested to provide each user's email and IP address? I know this sounds a bit too draconian, but didn't the last administration try to subpoena Google?
In most parts of California, it's effectively legal. While it's still technically against the federal law, the state law says that anyone with a prescription can buy it at a store and smoke it in their home. Getting a prescription is as easy as picking a doctor off a list, paying for an appointment, and saying, "I get headaches. Pot helps." It's available, reasonably priced, and you can have it without being hassled…
California does seem to have a culture of pot smoking for some reason.
I havn't in a little over a year now. Current company drug tests and I enjoy a paycheck more than I enjoy getting high. That said, I do very much enjoy it and have had some "breakthroughs" related to coding projects while high. Moderation is key, it can be great for helping you think about things differently, but if you overdo it, you can certainly do more harm than good.
I used to attribute it to activities that I'd be doing when I have the breakthrough... but I've realized, its not the activities. It's just enough time to process things differently.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
In most parts of California, it's effectively legal. While it's still technically against the federal law, the state law says that anyone with a prescription can buy it at a store and smoke it in their home. Getting a prescription is as easy as picking a doctor off a list, paying for an appointment, and saying, "I get headaches. Pot helps." It's available, reasonably priced, and you can have it without being hassled…
We used to have a boss who obviously was into drugs. extremely volatile, and he'd often email 'the team' at weekends, with long incoherent rants about how badly we're all doing. California does seem to have a culture of pot smoking for some reason.
It might only be giving you the illusion of helping. Can you benchmark test yourself with and without it?
Indeed. Programmer productivity is nearly impossible to measure, and so subjective, how would you even perform this kind of test? That being said, I'm 100% sure that I'm far less productive after smoking pot, and I suspect that any reasonable measure of programmer productivity would show the same results for just about everyone. But I'm also less productive after a few beers, or while watching a movie, or having sex,…
At higher doses, this would be overshadowed by the negative effects (leaping too far around the problem space, into nonsensical ideas, deleterous effects on memory and motivation.)
I presume an experienced user could differentiate, judge their own reactions and moderate accordingly. I don't believe I could.