However, here’s a dilemma I faced myself with recently. I too happen to be a devote Perl hacker. However, there are a few things about me I find disturbing. At my place of work, I would find myself ‘daydreaming’ about programming projects that are in no way directly related to the work I’m actually being paid for to do (programmer analyst). On certain occasions, I would read an interesting Perl article (like that recently posted by japhy on japhy’s Obfuscation Review) and get excited to a point where I absolutely have to get down to my emacs to start playing with snippets of Perl code. This means I have to put off the other work I was being paid to do before. Like this other day, I spent nearly an hour musing over various Perl variables and their use (perlop).

On the one hand, my mind tells me that it alright to allow myself this form of ‘natural’ relaxation. On the other hand, however, there’s my conscience (ever so pure *grin*) that keeps pounding this into my head: “Get back to you work, you haven’t been paid to do this…”. Yet, I would subconsciously fight back alleging that this is simply a way for me to learn and that by doing so I may indeed aide myself in solving other work related problems. Further, every such study is beneficial to my ‘spiritual’ growth (to the ultimate goal of a Perl sainthood!) and the wiser I become the greater my return on capital investment (that provided by the company) will be.

Reading through an excellent thread (mind me, no exaggeration implied), I also discover this quote by tjh in his post:

You wrote it on their time without their knowledge or approval - will they wonder what you didn't get done on your other duties? Companies will see both sides; the possible good of having this done, and, the possible opportunities lost while you weren't doing what you were being paid for, and the money they unknowingly invested in you doing this project.

This seems to strengthen my initial point. Here, a monk has written a useful tool in Perl on company’s time. Now, from what I can take from the thread, the monk at question hasn’t been hired to do any programming whatsoever. So, if the program turns out to be of no benefit to the company, should this monk’s action be regarded as an act of theft? But if his program is deemed useful, he should receive a tap on the shoulder, right? Were he hired to do a programmers job (just like me), I believe it would have increased the odds of approval of his actions by the company.

Concluding with a question: Just where do we draw the fine line between outright theft and useful form of relaxation, self enhancement (in terms of additional knowledge gained from mind stimulating activities such as say building a JAPH :-), or indirect investment into the operations of the company (such as the case with a thread I brought up here)? Since it’s already rather a common knowledge that programmers are able to solve challenging problems while involved in seemingly unrelated activities, is it entirely acceptable for me and other monks in similar situation to meditate on subjects unrelated to I (they) are being paid for to do in the first place?

Sincerely,

vladb.