why is obsessive better than well-rounded?

Little Digger / CC BY 2.0
Originally uploaded by
Randy Son Of Robert

Trick question: it's not.

I recently saw another editorial by someone who thinks good software developers should always have at least one side project going (won't link, there are plenty of articles like this around). If you're not involved in an open source project, or playing around with a new language, or developing your own little application, you just can't be up to snuff.

This seems to be a popular criterion. When I was interviewed for my current job, I was asked if I ever coded outside of work. I said that I did, although I freely admitted that my little projects rarely went anywhere - and they never turned into full-blown applications that were in use by anyone.

I did not mention that I tend to spend a lot more time experimenting with new projects when I'm unemployed...

I suppose for some small population of developers, coding night and day is fine. But it's ridiculous to suggest that these are the only people who should be coding, or that they're the only ones who are any good.

Many good developers have broad interests, hobbies, or even families *gasp*! They are very productive without coding all the time. Aside from that, software development is not a healthy activity in the long term (unless you're lucky enough to work with a Treadputer). Sitting in one spot, staring fixedly at a monitor for hours at a time is bad for you. Why does the "elite" development community laud people who do this, and point the finger of shame at people who do not?

I've known some developers who had their own little side projects. This was never a distinguishing marker of whether they were any good at coding, or whether they were even good to work with. Some were good, some were bad, some were a giant pain.

So in general, personally, I don't consider it admirable to be a constant coder, and I try not to get into that rut, although there's certainly a lot of pressure to do so.

Unfortunately, I have very little interest in the work I do on the job right now. There are a bunch of other development tasks with which I'd prefer to be experimenting. If I want to do anything about that, either I have to work on my own time, or sneak in time during the work day. I'm trying to do both.

This evening I sat down and started on a coding project that has intrigued me for a little while now. Took me an hour to do the installation and configuration work. That succeeded in dulling my enthusiasm, and I wonder if I'll continue work on it... It's one of the reasons I generally get nowhere with my side projects.