Subj : Re: do serious programmers have a life? To : comp.lang.c++,comp.programming From : Randy Howard Date : Fri Sep 23 2005 10:19 pm Phlip wrote (in article ): > How many hours do you work? > > The myth that programmers can or should work more than 8 hours a day is > tragic, and is responsible for an incredible amount of lost productivity, > bugs, etc. Oh bull. The myth that humans can only work 40 hours a week (and wishing for 32) without losing productivity is socialist claptrap. If you can't work 12 hours a day or more without having problems then you have a medical condition and should seek attention. More importantly, you do not need 2 or 3 days off a week to stay healthy. You may not get to spend 4 hours every night watching TV and swilling beer while watching reality TV, or spend all day saturday watching college athletes run around, then all day Sunday watching grown men do the same thing. If you can watch football 8 hours a day, then you can damn sure do real work for 12. Sure, it's nice to have time off, and it's nice to do things other than programming. I wouldn't want to work 120 hour weeks all year long, but doing it for a short term when needed is not the end of the world. I'll tell you one thing for sure, if I am on a team project with you, and we have work to do, and you go home to ride your bicycle while others on the team keep rowing, you better not come back and expect any respect, or even to keep your job. I am not referring to chronically mismanaged businesses that expect that 52 weeks a year. Professionals do what it takes to accomplish the goals, just as doctors work triple shifts during emergencies. Spineless windbags complain about their 'free time' and go home early when crunch time arrives. > When you work, as you get tired, you cross a point where you are not adding > value but removing value from a program. Go home. And that point is not at 5:01pm for most people. If it is for you, then you probably weren't of any value at 8:01am either. Just stay home and let people that contribute have more office space. > Programmers should go home on time and have a life. And now you know why all the work is being outsourced. -- Randy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR) .