Gustavo Duarte writes in his excellent piece, “Lucky to be a Programmer”:
For the past few weeks I’ve been working with a fellow developer on a project that required an all-out programming effort.
It’s done now, so we’re back to a regular schedule, but when people hear about the crazy hours they often say they’re sorry. They really shouldn’t be. I would never do this often, or for long periods, or without proper compensation if done for an employer, but the truth is that these programming blitzkriegs are some of my favorite
periods in life.
Under the right conditions, writing software is so intensely pleasurable it should be illegal.
Few things are better than spending time in a creative haze, consumed by ideas, watching your work come to life, going
to bed eager to wake up quickly and go try things out.
I am not suggesting that excessive hours are needed or even advisable; a sane schedule is a must except for occasional binges.
The point is that programming
is an intense creative pleasure, a perfect mixture of puzzles, writing, and craftsmanship.
Couldn’ t have said i
t better.
(Via Gus Mueller)
