What are your interests?

Alex_Chow · 2006-07-14

This is an informal scientific study, but what do you guys do on your leisure time?

Most programmers (in the US, Los Angeles more specifically) I come across share passion for chess and outdoor activities.

I'm wondering if this is traits of programmers locally or in general?

DenSter · 2006-07-14

Must be a local thing... Last chess game I've been in was a chore and about 25 years ago, and I like hanging out on the couch watching TV or tinkering around on my guitar (really, it's not much more than tinkering).

Savatage · 2006-07-14

In NY the weather isn't always so great and most of the year it's pretty cold. As for Leisure it seems to be mostly indoor activities

--I do love chess tho it's hard to find someone else other than yahoo chess.

--I too have a guitar that I would love to rule at but don't, I think it's about not getting the instant gradification of making it do what I'd like it to do.
--Love hanging with fiends watching Football & Baseball (NY Yankees & NY Giants to be exact)
--I become a very good 8-Ball pool player. \:D/
--Trying New restaurants
--seeing as many Heavy Metal concerts I can :twisted:
Outdoor wise - cycling & hanging by the pool with a beer

Alex_Chow · 2006-07-14

Maybe outdoor activities are specific to sunny Southern California

Is it possible that programmers are more determined to work through problems, such is why they find chess interesting? Or can pull an all nighter playing video games so they can get to the next level?

What about sports? Do you find that programmers enjoy competitive sports? This is assuming that they play sports in the first place.

Savatage · 2006-07-14

I've loved chess since i was a kid - ever since someone told me it was a game of war - kill or be killed 8)

I'm guilty also of playing till whenever to get to the next level too. I played toontown for 6 hrs straight once ( www.toontown.com ) just to help my daughter finally get her toon to level 101!!!!! only took a year!

also die-hard sports fan
I would think lots of different careers would share similar activites.
I must admit :Shopping is not one of them.

Alex_Chow · 2006-07-14

Savatage wrote:

I must admit :Shopping is not one of them.

Another question, do you think most programmer share the trait of being able to concentrate over a long period?

kriki · 2006-07-15

deadlizard wrote:

Another question, do you think most programmer share the trait of being able to concentrate over a long period?

I think it is a necessity for the die-hard programmers. If you have a difficult and complicated problem/program, you wont be able to fix/program it if you let your mind wander away just like that. Because if it happens, it is possible you have to start all over again.

Leisure time:
-until about 2 years ago: reading European-style comics, manga, RPG-books, playing computer games (especially strategy and RPG). RPG.

-now: playing with my daughter, some reading and with what's left:answering Navision-related posts.

BTW: what is "sport"? Some new ultratechnical plaything I didn't hear of yet?

Marije_Brummel · 2006-07-15

www.fj1200.nl 8)

And my wife and kids off-course. O:)

Unfortunately, starting up my own company takes loads of time at this moment.

David_Cox · 2006-07-15

Me I just started back in the gym 3 times a week, I am writing stuff for my website, as well as a comercial application in VB.NET, I also draw and paint.

then there is the 4 Daughters and 6 grandchildren, that just pop in at the weekends!

Concentration is not the most important, being able to understand a problem, the impact of your solution then come up with the best solution is!

Alex_Chow · 2006-07-17

David Cox wrote:

Concentration is not the most important, being able to understand a problem, the impact of your solution then come up with the best solution is!

But if you don't understand the problem, don't you have to spend a large amount of time on it?

The reason why I asked this is because I read an article that the creator of BitTorrent has a condition where when he focuses and concentrates on something, he will not be able to draw away from it.

Timo_Lässer · 2006-07-18

I spent most of my time with my family.
Furthermore I take care about my Online Community and get involved with the Federal Agency for Technical Relief.

David_Cox · 2006-07-18

deadlizard wrote:

But if you don't understand the problem, don't you have to spend a large amount of time on it?

Point I was making is that you can concentrate on a problem for a long time, but if you do not grasp the concept or reason, no matter how you concentrate you will not solve it.

Some people have a natural knack of logical thinking, not the brainiest but are good problem solvers.

But this is off subject!

DenSter · 2006-07-18

Getting back on topic

I've developed quite an addiction to sudoku puzzles.

Alex_Chow · 2006-07-18

Right, back on subject.

Any programmers here likes to go out clubbing / partying / raving / etc?

Savatage · 2006-07-18

Not that I'm any typical programmer - but that techno club noise kills me.
So I need a few drinks to kill the pain. But that's when the calculations begin....

If NumODrinks > 6
 Then "DWI~NightInJail" = 'TRUE'
  (Message 'This Sucks');
 Else "Music2Painful" = 'TRUE'
  (Message 'This Sucks');
End;

Hmm..No Winner so....

Neighborhood PUB \:D/

Heavy Metal Thunder BABY!

kine · 2006-07-20

My free time:

1) Playing games on PC (FPS, some RPG, simulators)
2) Reading (mainly T. Pratchett)

And if my wife is at home, then my wife... :-)

And please, no loud music, only music like classic, some soundtracks (Lord of The Rings, Morrowind, Oblivion), Vangelis and others...

themave · 2006-07-20

Not a programmer, except of coarse keeping Navision running for my company.

I play xbox live most every day. Halo2 especially. But, unfortunately I don't improve a whole lot. My 14 year old son comes on and plays and kicks my butt. when he hasn't even played Halo for weeks. Bend stuck at level 24 for a while. Every time I move up a few level I start getting my butt kicked and quickly drop back down again.

Look for me gamertag Griefmaster

Miklos_Hollender · 2006-07-23

My interests fall into three categories:

1) Fighting a losing battle against obesity, like going to a gym, jogging etc... nothing seems to help, as I'm kinda "bacon with sausages" - fan...

2) Browsing the web, mostly reddit.com and Wikipedia, although the Stumble plugin for Firefox also rocks.

3) Visiting the local Diamond Way Buddhist center. Not only I find this philosophy/lifestyle very practical for day-to-day happines, but these centers have the most interesting people and most beautiful girls so it's quite a fun to have a few beers with them after meditation.

Miklos_Hollender · 2006-07-23

Deadlizard:

it's interesting that amongst people who work with hi-tech, surprisingly few like hi-tech music. I loved Frankfurt-style techno when I was a student (Chris Liebing, Monika Kruse, Green Velvet, Der Dritte Raum, Funk D'Void etc.) and now I find that I need some more conservative music like old Guns'N'Roses songs to keep my inner balance... I think it's more or less natural to make one's pastime radically different from one's worktime to keep a balance... just look at the Silicon Valley, people who work at Google and Oracle live in completely rural areas, listening to bird's song in the garden instead of buying a hi-tech skyscraper flat - I think they need it to keep their inner balance.

girish.joshi · 2006-07-25

I like chess. Harry, you should check www.chessclub.com for a game, especially if you're more experienced.

DragsterMBP · 2006-07-25

Hmm ... developers/programmers interests ... and then Navision programmers interests and I see Heavy Metal among the posts ... I am awed

My interests:

HeavyMetal : www.whelm.dk
Snowboarding
Judo
Concerts
MyGirlfriend
Beer
Party
More beer
... and Sex

Oh I forgot to add:
My AlfaRomeo146
Motorbikes

Alex_Chow · 2006-07-25

Miklos Hollender wrote:

3) Visiting the local Diamond Way Buddhist center. Not only I find this philosophy/lifestyle very practical for day-to-day happines

It's nice to see someone else share the same interest in studying buddist philosophies. I also find it very helpful in dealing with things around us.

Alex_Chow · 2006-07-25

What about being competitive? Are you competitive in almost everything you do?

Is it possible that being competitive by nature helps a programmer to have the mentality stating "if someone can do it, why can't I?"

Personally, I love competition. One of my goals is to actually step into the ring and compete in one No Holds Bar fight. But as each year goes by, I find that that dream is becoming dimmer and dimmer...

This is especially compounded by the fact that I'm getting more and more out of shape...

DenSter · 2006-07-25

Aren't there some underground 'fight clubs' out west, like the ones from the movie? There was an item on 20 minutes about that.

Alex_Chow · 2006-07-25

DenSter wrote:

Aren't there some underground 'fight clubs' out west, like the ones from the movie? There was an item on 20 minutes about that.

It's not really underground anymore... They were holding auditions at UCLA a few months ago for an opportunity to fight in Japan.

Savatage · 2006-07-25

& What's the goal of that? I can seem to sit thru the whole movie.

as interests go I can't get enuf UFC

DragsterMBP wrote:

My interests:

HeavyMetal : www.whelm.dk

What do you think about the 2006 Gigantour Lineup?
http://www.gigantour.com/home.php

kine · 2006-07-26

deadlizard wrote:

What about being competitive? Are you competitive in almost everything you do?

Is it possible that being competitive by nature helps a programmer to have the mentality stating "if someone can do it, why can't I?"

I like things like "why it is not working?" and when I found some "problem to solve" I am thinking about it till I solve it. Of course, there are exceptions and I do not like to think about "problems" of others (only if I need it too)...

And of course, I like to be better than other and to know all as first...

DragsterMBP · 2006-07-26

Savatage wrote:

as interests go I can't get enuf UFC

DragsterMBP wrote:

My interests:

HeavyMetal : www.whelm.dk

What do you think about the 2006 Gigantour Lineup?
http://www.gigantour.com/home.php

I forgot to write that I am a Judo fighter as well ... and UFC rules bigtime.

For the tour, I would like to see Opeth and Overkill

Miklos_Hollender · 2006-07-28

Competitiveness... it's an interesting question. I never really felt I would want to compete with persons - that's too simple.

But competing with objective facts or the trends set by huge megacorps - which are almost like objective facts - is interesting. To push the barriers of impossibility a little further each day, or do a little "freedom fight" - publishing developments that ease the megacorporations's monopolistic grip on advanced tech - that's an interesting kind of competition, or challenge...

What are your interests?

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