[cicatriz]

Coding at work is certainly not optimized for practice.

NFL players do an exceptional amount of highly optimized training in addition to their "work" of playing the game: http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/12/10/tom-brady-new-england-patri...

No, you shouldn't have to work a 40+ hour week and then go home and practice to make a living as a software engineer. But if we want highly performant programmers, we should figure out the best ways to practice (and probably spend less--but more effective--time on production code to balance it all out).

[JeremyMorgan]

>No, you shouldn't have to work a 40+ hour week and then go home and practice to make a living as a software engineer. But if we want highly performant programmers, we should figure out the best ways to practice (and probably spend less--but more effective--time on production code to balance it all out).

You're coming very close to identifying a major problem with our industry that isn't likely to go away. Yes you absolutely do have to "go home and study" to keep up as a software engineer/programmer. This is due to two reasons:

1. Advancements in technology outpace us

2. We're generally overloaded by management that doesn't understand what we do.

As for #1 there isn't much we can do to change that, and who would want to?

But for #2 it's a major problem. In many cases our 40+ hours have to be filled with coding because of the unrealistic deadlines that are posed on us from managers who don't understand the work.

Most of us are managed by people who have no idea what we do. They want "more more more" in terms of features and gizmos but haven't the slightest understanding of what goes into it. Add in scope creep and wasted time with meetings (that make them look busy) and that adds up to a long work week for a developer. And when you ask for time to study or learn something new, the response is "sure, when things aren't so busy".

This just reinforces my belief that you need passion to do this. You have to love development so much you're willing to put up this stuff, work your ass off and still want to go home and learn more.

[kyllo]

Yes and it's also because the projects you'll typically work on in a corporate environment are like maintaining and adding features to boring CRUD apps and your skills will atrophy if you don't actively seek interesting, challenging work on your own time.

[JeremyMorgan]

I agree 100%.

[falcolas]

Your statement seems to infer that a NFL player only "works" one day a week for about 5 hours, and the rest of their training is done on their own time. I highly doubt your average football player would agree: they are working every time they are in there practicing.

Specifically related to your link - about someone who seems unhealthily obsessed with his job I would note - do you see how there's something in his schedule called Rest? How he is encouraged to unwind and have a social life? His personal motto "Balance in all things"? That's something which is missing from the "programmers should practice" narrative.

[qzcx]

Neither the person you are replying to or the OP says you need to work 40+ hours a week and spend 10-15 hours a week practicing. Most things which have long term benefits only require 15-30 mins to do them and see results. (exercise, music, foreign language). It really does build up over time.

[atrilla]

Totally agree. He who expends all his time working has no time left to improve. I think I got this from the pragmatic bookshelf...