[nibnib]

>algorithms were invented on paper first

This I can see, but the parent seems to be talking about commercially viable software. I think people should be careful when discussing imprisonment as some kind of distraction-free vacation for intellectual pursuits, the reality is that a large amount of time would be spent caring for your mental wellbeing.

[Fjolsvith]

Well, most of the people I knew in prison used weight-lifting, tennis, jogging, arts and crafts, instrument playing, card games, reading, cooking, TV watching, naptime, and even alcohol to manage the mental wellbeing.

What can really be tough is if you have someone on the outside you care about who is struggling with their own issues. That, more than anything, puts an imprisoned man into depression.