What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer

Re:What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer by falcolas on Sunday August 20, 2017 @10:23AM (#15058496)

No amount of control of my environment will put me in the zone when I'm working on boring code. Crud framework? I'll be reading HN while going through the motions. Code review? Time for some stimulating music (though not too stimulating, I do need to pay attention to the code review).

But give me something interesting - a real challenge - and I'm able to get into the zone, the hours flying by like they were minutes. My brain has to be able to fully engage with the problem to hit that zone.

Of course, I'm a technical lead in my group, so the ability to control my environment is limited. So I get up absurdly early just to get work done before I have to be available to be interrupted.

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Re:What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer by tudorconstantin on Sunday August 20, 2017 @12:25PM (#15059028)

During my about 11 years of experience as a web dev, I rarely got to do any repetitive and boring tasks. When I got them, I made them interesting by thinking of ways to automate as much as possible of the implementation process.

Or negociated a higher pay, so it becomes non viable financially for the employer to use me as a resource to do the routine stuff. This doesn't apply to code reviews though.

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Re:What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer by emddudley on Sunday August 20, 2017 @10:57AM (#15058631)

Psychological flow (the zone) does require a slight challenge. A task that requires you to focus but which is within your capability.

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Re:What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer by jordic on Sunday August 20, 2017 @11:17AM (#15058735)

I'm used to start working at 5am or early... Just to be on the zone without distractions (email, phone... )

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Re:What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer by derping69 on Sunday August 20, 2017 @01:05PM (#15059178)

>No amount of control of my environment will put me in the zone when I'm working on boring code.

adderall

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Re:What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer by atemerev on Sunday August 20, 2017 @03:10PM (#15059793)

As an ADD person who has to take it regularly, I can say that it can just easily focus you on replying to anything of interest on Hacker News... so no, doesn't work this way.

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Re:What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer by derping69 on Sunday August 20, 2017 @08:12PM (#15061014)

Yeah I've lived it. You have to get to work right away so when it kicks in otherwise you'll generally keep doing whatever you were doing when it did. It can turn you into a god of productivity if you use it right or a degenerate jacking off for 12 hours straight.

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Re:What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer by dustinls on Sunday August 20, 2017 @05:32PM (#15060351)

Adderall just allows someone with ADD to get their thoughts from their head to the screen without the house of cards collapsing somewhere in between.

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Re:What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer by ikeyany on Sunday August 20, 2017 @02:02PM (#15059459)

I imagine far more people just get high.

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Re:What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer by ge96 on Sunday August 20, 2017 @03:22PM (#15059835)

Time to sit down for 11 hours and learn 5/6, weeks of diffeq for an exam. Eyes burning. Member disappearing into my body. Digestive system not functioning.

But then it's done. And then you forget all the mass information you absorbed and shat out onto a page.

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Re:What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer by sillysaurus3 on Sunday August 20, 2017 @11:59AM (#15058928)

Everyone is different. :)

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