Took me WAY out of context
You took me WAY out of context.
I write a good amount of code on my personal time. I also write this blog, and contribute further articles to TechRepublic, some about development, some about other aspects of IT.
Yet, this Monday I went to an NBA game. I spent tonight with my family and friends at the state fair. I spent all day on Saturdays doing nothing but spending time with my son while my girlfriend is at work... typically from 7 to 7, and then cook a meal for her, her mother, and her sister so we can spend time together. Fridays, my girlfriend, son, and my friends get together for dinner, and then I spend time with my friends. Throughout the week, I have at least 4 days where I spend a lot of time with my friends. And every night, I have the time to give my son his "night night bottle", and I make sure I so it, *regardless* of anything else that is happening, because it is so important to me. I also manage to slip in the reading of a few pages of a book here and there, and spend time with my girlfriend.
And yet, I still manage to write code on a regular basis!
It's all about time management. Programming and reading and learning about it are a *hobby* for me. If you liked gardening and spent Sunday afternoon gardening, I doubt you would call that "abondoning your family". Likewise for me... I do not program for fun unless my more important responsibilities are already met, like not just spending "time" with my family (anyone can sit on a couch and watch the same TV as their spouse or kids), but truly spending *time* with them.
Is it easy? Sure. I am a fairly well balanced person at an emotional level. It would be pretty twisted of me to ignore important things like "the real world", my family, my friends, housework, yardwork, etc. because I want to bury my head in some code. But I enjoy the work enough to choose to do it without the motivation of a paycheck. And that is what I am talking about.
I am not really sure how you jump from the words you quoted to the idea that I am looking for some freaks who are addicted to programming (if you replaced "programming" with "doing drugs", "gambling", or "drinking" it would be a fairly good description of addiction), because that certainly was neither my words nor the intention of my words.
J.Ja
