Update: I didn't mean to suggest that I don't enjoy coding, of course! But the projects my boss finds urgent are not always the same ones that I find interesting, and there are other things I enjoy as well.

In my opinion, if the majority of the people in a job are regularly working >40 hours a week then something is seriously wrong with the project planning.

Like kudra I too love my 40 week, but only because I can then fit in plenty of my own hacking at home :)

--
<http://www.dave.org.uk>

European Perl Conference - Sept 22/24 2000, ICA, London
<http://www.yapc.org/Europe/>

I am / was getting paid as a programmer, but now I've settled down for a 8h/week admin job for a small (but mission critical) network. And somehow I must say, I don't miss either the deadlines nor the endless bugs from programming, and it is quite good for my studies to have a job that dosen't absorb me and that I can leave with closing the door behind me - something my programming projects never made possible.

Of course, I still have projects, but they are now smaller and circle more around modifying existing software and integrating different software than creating new software... I think that I've always been one of the admin mind, but I still enjoy programming - just not the time pressure and long projects ...

After my diploma, I hope to find a half-day admin job so I can maybe get my doctorate financed as well :-)

You have it made. A key part of coding is the studying behind the code! I love the idea of working few hours very productively, and spending the rest of the time absorbing knowledge. Plus, I'm convinced that strategic games make you smarter. Are you with me on this?

The only people here who work 40 hours per week are the administrative assistants, the junior level IT technicians, and the most junior developers.

That's frightening. Studies have shown that working more than 48 hours per week on a regular basis will give you serious long term health problems :-(

Nuance

Oh, like getting snippy at beginning posters, and telling people their code sucks?

(ducking...)

-- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker

What, you mean like antisocial behavior, whitening of skin, avoidance of sunlight, failure to separate work from home, etc., etc.? <G>
- email Ozymandias

Or caffeine addiction?

/\/\averick

I'm not trying to be argumenative but I'm going to have to say that study is a little off base. And one must remember that Science doesn't prove it only disproves. It might have disproved the fact that working 48+ hrs a week is good for you. But it can't prove that it's actually harmful, that study doesn't show what else these people did. Whether the person who worked 48+ hrs a week went home, downed a fifth of scotch, picked up a guitar and played in the clubs all night, or if that guy went home, had dinner and went to bed. The basic premise is that science can only disprove theories. It can't prove them because there are just too many variables and environmental conditions. You can tell if it was a serious scientific study if it is worded like a News Paper ( not the enquirer! ). Newspapers say, "Man allegedly killed his wife." They never say, "MAN KILLED WIFE!" Even if the man is found guilty by a court of law 100 times over, "Man found guilty of allegedly killing his wife." Again, I wasn't trying to be argumentative, I just wanted to say that. Too often, "scientific studies" ( and I use the term lightly ) are not as well thought out as they should me.

I'd like it stated that this is my opinion, if you don't agree, please reply and tell me your veiws, but I'm not interested in starting a fight/flame war/pizza party/whatever.

Nobody expects the The Spanish Inquisition

Craziness....both my parents worked 60+ hrs/wk and they are fine. In fact, my mother is a medal-winning triathlete and my father bikes every day. It's completely possible to be a well-adjusted and healthy workaholic... :)

Ivory

Theorem: Senior programmers have long term health problems.

Just kidding.

Larsen