Comments on: The Programmer's Nemesis http://www.forevergeek.com/2006/05/the_programmers_nemesis/ Nerds are for Dorks Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:04:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mark http://www.forevergeek.com/2006/05/the_programmers_nemesis/#comment-8524 Mark Tue, 30 May 2006 04:19:31 +0000 http://forevergeek.com/?p=2976#comment-8524 It's been said that inspiration arrives only when the mind is quiet, and that creativity requires letting ideas bubble up from your subconscious without random thoughts firing off every second. Meditation is a good way to calm an overactive mind, and if that's what is your primary source of distraction, think of how much more creative and productive you'd be if you could quiet your mind whenever you want to (or even better, only initiate thoughts when you want to, letting your mind be quiet all the rest of the time). I've been meditating around 15 minutes per night for the last 3 months or so. I've already noticed an ability to reduce the distractions I create for myself, and to get myself back into 'flow' when someone else interrupts me. It’s been said that inspiration arrives only when the mind is quiet, and that creativity requires letting ideas bubble up from your subconscious without random thoughts firing off every second.

Meditation is a good way to calm an overactive mind, and if that’s what is your primary source of distraction, think of how much more creative and productive you’d be if you could quiet your mind whenever you want to (or even better, only initiate thoughts when you want to, letting your mind be quiet all the rest of the time).

I’ve been meditating around 15 minutes per night for the last 3 months or so. I’ve already noticed an ability to reduce the distractions I create for myself, and to get myself back into ‘flow’ when someone else interrupts me.

]]> By: jangelo http://www.forevergeek.com/2006/05/the_programmers_nemesis/#comment-8523 jangelo Sun, 14 May 2006 18:45:33 +0000 http://forevergeek.com/?p=2976#comment-8523 Ah, the dyslexic in all of us! :) Sometimes a problem would stare me at the face for ages, too--sometimes in boldface italics at that--before I can notice it. Ah, the dyslexic in all of us! :) Sometimes a problem would stare me at the face for ages, too–sometimes in boldface italics at that–before I can notice it.

]]> By: Andy Whitwam http://www.forevergeek.com/2006/05/the_programmers_nemesis/#comment-8522 Andy Whitwam Sun, 14 May 2006 10:08:42 +0000 http://forevergeek.com/?p=2976#comment-8522 My boss used to pull me away from programming to look at a 'funny' video. Dead annoying! Plus I would spend a day and get loads done. but nothing really to show because it just wasn't at a stage where I could show it, and I could tell that people thought I'd done nothing all day. Another thing that does my head in is when I make a mistake but just can't see it, for ages! Then suddenly it will pop out at me, somthing like a missing bracket or semi colon (I develop in PHP by the way), and I'm kicking myself because I had looked at the very line of code a billion times and checked it previously! My boss used to pull me away from programming to look at a ‘funny’ video. Dead annoying! Plus I would spend a day and get loads done. but nothing really to show because it just wasn’t at a stage where I could show it, and I could tell that people thought I’d done nothing all day.

Another thing that does my head in is when I make a mistake but just can’t see it, for ages! Then suddenly it will pop out at me, somthing like a missing bracket or semi colon (I develop in PHP by the way), and I’m kicking myself because I had looked at the very line of code a billion times and checked it previously!

]]> By: Marco (Griffith) Jardim http://www.forevergeek.com/2006/05/the_programmers_nemesis/#comment-8521 Marco (Griffith) Jardim Wed, 10 May 2006 23:42:51 +0000 http://forevergeek.com/?p=2976#comment-8521 It's not that I don't mind helping colleagues, but when they interrupt you every 5 minutes and ask the same questions repeatedly but on different days it starts to affect your productivity. And while their projects advance (due to your help) your's evolves much slower and your boss starts criticizing your work and commending theirs. If you're designing something in Photoshop or Dreamweaver, it doesn't affect you much, but when you're programming it will take 15 minutes to actually start producing anything at a steady pace. It’s not that I don’t mind helping colleagues, but when they interrupt you every 5 minutes and ask the same questions repeatedly but on different days it starts to affect your productivity.

And while their projects advance (due to your help) your’s evolves much slower and your boss starts criticizing your work and commending theirs.

If you’re designing something in Photoshop or Dreamweaver, it doesn’t affect you much, but when you’re programming it will take 15 minutes to actually start producing anything at a steady pace.

]]> By: Echostorm http://www.forevergeek.com/2006/05/the_programmers_nemesis/#comment-8520 Echostorm Wed, 10 May 2006 14:19:04 +0000 http://forevergeek.com/?p=2976#comment-8520 An employee who can't be bothered to help his peers. You wouldn't last long in my company. An employee who can’t be bothered to help his peers. You wouldn’t last long in my company.

]]> By: jangelo http://www.forevergeek.com/2006/05/the_programmers_nemesis/#comment-8519 jangelo Tue, 09 May 2006 22:37:59 +0000 http://forevergeek.com/?p=2976#comment-8519 Or perhaps "how do you do YourSQL queries?" Heh! Or perhaps “how do you do YourSQL queries?”

Heh!

]]> By: Marco (Griffith) Jardim http://www.forevergeek.com/2006/05/the_programmers_nemesis/#comment-8518 Marco (Griffith) Jardim Tue, 09 May 2006 22:25:55 +0000 http://forevergeek.com/?p=2976#comment-8518 In common terms, the programmer's nemesis is a colleague that's always asking stupid things like how to do MySQL queries or the name of XHTML tags. Yes, I did go through that. In common terms, the programmer’s nemesis is a colleague that’s always asking stupid things like how to do MySQL queries or the name of XHTML tags.

Yes, I did go through that.

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