[mechanical_fish]

should one be worried if they are working with a programmer who is not awkward, then?

Part of the article's theme is that the awkwardness comes and goes. When the author is not programming he doesn't feel awkward at all.

It's also important to realize the range of human variation. There are programmers who can code at top speed while carrying on a continuous patter. They're not common, but they exist. There are programmers who do all their work with an IRC session chugging along in an adjacent window. I can't seem to cope with that, myself -- I can't focus when messages are scrolling by in my peripheral vision. I also can't focus when there's music playing, but other people can't code without music.

[LogicHoleFlaw]

I find that when I'm in the middle of an intense coding session I become abrasive and distracted from others' perspective. If you interrupt me when I'm working on a problem, I will lose it! In several senses. I find that I can't work when there is music playing - generally when I start working I have music quite loud but as I get more immersed in the problem it becomes quieter and quieter until I mute it completely.

On the other hand I'm comfortable in social situations so long as I have some time for that mental intensity to dissipate. I just need a buffer to switch modes.