[davisclark]

I think this is getting at one of the root absurdities of human existence in general: the desire to be understood, to socially connect, and the overwhelming truth that real understanding is impossible. We are born, we live, and we die alone.

It reminds me of what Sartre wrote, "Man can will nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth."

[Udo]

Your outlook on this really depends on subjective definitions of "truth", "understanding", and "alone". I realize it's one of the central hypotheses of the article that side projects need to have a social component - but whether that's true is entirely dependent on someone's personality. The overwhelming majority of side projects will never get shared with anyone, and I differ with the article in saying that's not a failure which needs to be corrected. On the other hand, there are side projects that happen with many people collaborating from the get-go; however, I would be hesitant to declare this a globally ideal format for all programmers doing hobby hacking.