A hacker's loneliness

#1

Post by maryrosecook » Wed, Sep 24, 2008, 11:13 PM UTC

"The computer is more interesting than most people. I love to spend time with my computer. It is fun to write programs for it, play games on it, and to build new parts for it. It is fascinating to try to figure out what part of the program it is in by the way the lights flicker or the radio buzzes.

"...The computer has moved out of the den and into the rest of your life. It will consume all of your spare time, and even your vacation, if you let it. It will empty your wallet and tie up your thoughts. It will drive away your family. Your friends will start to think of you as a bore. And what for?"

Shaken by the break-up of his marriage, Tom Pittman decided to change his habits. And he did. He later described the transformation: "I take a day of rest now. I won't turn on the computer on Sunday.

"The other six days, I work like a dog."

- Hackers, Steven Levy.

Re: A hacker's loneliness

#2

Post by maryrosecook » Wed, Sep 24, 2008, 11:13 PM UTC

I wasn't sure if this is appropriate. However, it expresses the loneliness that I, and, I expect, some other hackers, sometimes feel.

Re: A hacker's loneliness

#3

Post by markbao » Wed, Sep 24, 2008, 11:48 PM UTC

The problem I have is that not only I both love to spend time with it, but that I know that I should be spending time with it to get the product done faster. Sometimes it may be fun, exciting, etc. but sometimes it's just an obligation.

Re: A hacker's loneliness

#4

Post by kajecounterhack » Thu, Sep 25, 2008, 12:06 AM UTC

It hasn't driven away my family, but it does drive away friends. Lol.

Re: A hacker's loneliness

#5

Post by endlessvoid94 » Thu, Sep 25, 2008, 12:12 AM UTC

That was a great book. Also check out "Crypto" by Steven Levy.

Re: A hacker's loneliness

#6

Post by menloparkbum » Thu, Sep 25, 2008, 12:13 AM UTC

"Is this indifference to the world a consequence of too much intercourse with machines that give the appearance of thinking? How were he to fare if one day he has to quit computers and rejoin a civilized society?... The more he has to do with computing, the more it seems to him like chess: a tight little world defined by made-up rules, one that sucks in boys of a certain susceptible temperament and then turns them half-crazy, as he is half-crazy, so that all the time they deludedly think they are playing the game, the game is in fact playing them."

-J.M. Coetzee, winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature and former IBM programmer, from "Youth, Scenes from Provincial Life II."

Re: A hacker's loneliness

#7

Post by mroman » Thu, Sep 25, 2008, 12:14 AM UTC

With time, I have felt that loneliness, yet, after a couple of hours of being around people, I can't help but think about the work I could be doing, the wonders I could be exploring.

Re: A hacker's loneliness

#8

Post by woid » Thu, Sep 25, 2008, 12:20 AM UTC

There is also problem with relationships with some women. I think, most women don't mind you are spending so much time with a computer (as long as you are making good money doing it). But they are jealous they must share the love and attention with something like a computer. That is something unbearable for them. In this case, you as a hacker have to lie that you hate your daily work, your boss is an asshole and you have to stay at work longer just to pay the bills. Don't even think to be honest for second and telling truth that you love your work, you escape there because you are resting by working, by being creative and by seeing your code/product running. If you have family, maybe is better to take well-paid but boring 8-5 job full of assholes, where you will look forward for the end and rushing home to wife and kids. Computer you may use just for reading news on Friday evening.

Are you more a mad scientist or a family guy? :-)

Re: A hacker's loneliness

#9

Post by PieSquared » Thu, Sep 25, 2008, 12:22 AM UTC

kajecounterhack wrote: post #4

It hasn't driven away my family, but it does drive away friends. Lol.

It did that to me for a while, too; I would always want to explain to them my latest idea or tell them about some awesome new language or something. They would yawn.

They're still awesome people, but sometimes I wish there were people around me who I could associate with and discuss computer hobbies with. (Sadly, being in school doesn't give you many opportunities to meet new people very often, it seems to me...)

Re: A hacker's loneliness

#10

Post by menloparkbum » Thu, Sep 25, 2008, 12:23 AM UTC

woid wrote: post #8

There is also problem with relationships with some women. I think, most women don't mind you are spending so much time with a computer (as long as you are making good money doing it). But they are jealous they must share the love and attention with something like a computer. That is something unbearable for them. In this case, you as a hacker have to lie that you hate your daily work, your boss is an asshole and you…

This happens to many people who are very into their work, computers or not. I have 2 good friends who are both very successful artists, and they are both divorced because of their commitment to their work.