[bryanrasmussen]

in answer to number 3, those of us with kids probably aren't going to spend weeks on unpaid open source projects, if we are it will be ones we like, and just as we don't complain about having sex infrequently, watching Marvel movies late at night after everyone has gone to bed, or getting drunk with friends on rare occasions we won't complain about doing something we like as opposed to something we don't like and anyway most people that apply for a job apply for more than one job.

When my last gig got over I went through 10 places over a month and a week to find my next place. If homework was always only 2 hours each time that would be half a work week. The last homework I had to do actually needed some environment setup, but things had changed in some library etc. and I went through nearly 2 hours to setup environment I needed for the assignment. The homework was timed, I had 24 hours to complete from time it was sent. Somebody was sick that weekend and as a consequence I did not finish the assignment.

Supposedly applying for a job should take some hours to tailor make your resume, your cover letter and so forth, then some time to travel to interview and now extra hours to do homework. As far as might get me a great job it's been my experience that what it gets me is a job where people value getting things done but also having fun while doing it, with some foosball games and other perks littered about an open office all seemingly decorated by the same team working globally. There will of course be opportunities to determine the technical direction of projects and perhaps the company as a whole! etc. etc. Perhaps I am fortunate that all my jobs are great, but on the other hand if that is the case I am more likely to go for the job at the place that doesn't make me do the extra hours as opposed to the one that does.

on edit: of course people do complain about having sex infrequently but it is the infrequently they complain about, not the having.