[bellbind]

Well, all this is a bit of a fairy tale to me. Sure programming on my free time with friends, always wanting to know more, to go further, that's true it is fun and I'd say it's a way of life. Now consider: process, deadlines, the annoying management guys.. All this is exhausting and boring, it takes away creativity and fun. Not everything is bright and shinny like that article seems to state. The guy actually designing apps is not necessarily the guy who will code them, etc. There's a lot of frustrating realities out there that are better to be known and accepted than ignored.

Also, see http://developers.slashdot.org/story/11/05/11/0358233/is-pro...

[jacquesm]

Sounds like you need a change of environment.

[boofar]

So it's not the fault of programming or any other activity per se, but that of the stressful (work) environment.

[bellbind]

What I'm saying is that programming for fun on your free time is absolutely not the same as programming to pay the rent, and this is not straightforward when you start learning computer science (and that's what this article is about, right?). You have to respect a lot of things that stops you in the creation process, because the goal here is not to do cool things but do as you're told, to take decisions not for your entertainment but for your boss. Sure there are people that do whatever they want at work, but it's relatively rare. And this, my friends, is just my humble opinion.

[babarock]

Let me put it this way. On a regular week day, I spend around 12-14 hours a day programming (that might change with a kid on the way), only 10 of which are done for my boss. The point is I don't program to make a living. I just make a living by doing what I do best.

In other words, programming to me means so much more than what I give my employer. Just like the article says, it defines a way of life, that puts knowledge, learning and improving on top of everything else.