How long can you keep it up (nudge, nudge)?

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squibs

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I'm just wondering how long people can maintain coding in an average day? I find if I have client calls, backups/maintenance, e-mail correspondence, and other stuff mixed in I can put down an average working day or longer with no problem.

If all I'm doing is coding (html/css/php) I find I have mini-burnouts every few hours and a total brain shutdown after about 6 hours. This despite the fact that I really enjoy the work. It's very annoying when a deadline is looming and I'm semi-comatose.

Just wondering about other peoples experience and tips (not seeking epic tales of maverick 36 hour coding sessions fuelled by Jolt and Pizza alone!).
 

Forbairt

Teaching / Designing / Developing
Just wondering about other peoples experience and tips (not seeking epic tales of maverick 36 hour coding sessions fuelled by Jolt and Pizza alone!).

Best value option is actually Kick or Red Rooster ... from either Tesco or Dunnes ...

6 pack of kick costs around 2.80 I think ...

You can get Red Rooster in 1 litre bottles ... for around 2 quid .. and its good as well ...

What you don't want to do .. is to do this too often ... or you'll find you burn yourself out ...

On big coding sessions I find its similar to big gaming sessions ... I just don't eat ..

These days I'm finding I'm lucky if I get 2 hours straight coding though ... phone calls / support / emails / marketing / replying to silly irish web master forum posts :p

Best time to do your Maverick coding sessions ... is actually the middle of the night ... if you start in around 10 .. have a nap before ... you'll find its so peaceful and quiet at night ... not to mention if the heat is off you'll type faster while trying to stay warm :D

Its a good idea though to have 2 pizzas stored in the fridge at all times ... and a bottle of water can actually have the same effect as red bull .. and keep the mind alert ... take small sips of water constantly over the course of the day ...


Hmm... that is all ( I've cut out the red bull / kick / coke / red rooster / that czech one who's name I can never remember .. tiger ? .. its my new years resolution :D )
 

squibs

New Member
Best time to do your Maverick coding sessions ... is actually the middle of the night ... if you start in around 10 .. have a nap before ... you'll find its so peaceful and quiet at night ... not to mention if the heat is off you'll type faster while trying to stay warm :D

Nightime coding is not really a longterm option for me - the missus would not be pleased :)
 

Forbairt

Teaching / Designing / Developing
Nightime coding is not really a longterm option for me - the missus would not be pleased :)

In the same boat fortunately / unfortunately :D

Another option can be to turn off all phones / internet access though I think your problem is more your brain going to a state of mushy peas :)

I go dark sometimes [no net / no phones / headphones with loud music] when I've really really got pressing deadlines :D

I also find Scooter .. to be great music to code to :D (and thats probably why no one has the same music taste as me on last.fm :D )
 

squibs

New Member
Wow - you can successfully go dark?

What do you tell custards who can't reach you for customer support?
 

Forbairt

Teaching / Designing / Developing
OOPS ? :p

I've 1 biggish support contract ... which has a turn around time of a few hours / 24 hours on issues .. which is quite cool :) (rare I'd say as well)

For other customers .. They drop me a mail and I fit them in ... it can't always be a case of giving them priority all the time or I'd end up getting nothing done.

Maybe if I end up expanding the business ... but for the moment its ok :)

Its kinda like ... what do you do on holidays ? Customers can leave a message and I'll get back to them. For the most part though things work *prays*
 

squibs

New Member
Holidays - what are they?

Seriously though, I take your point. We tend to drop everything when a customer has a problem, because we want to be known good service above and beyond the call of duty. It's kinda how we get our referrals.

Of course, as you say, most things can wait for a couple of hours. We'd do well to remember that.
 

jmcc

Active Member
It is based on the complexity of the code I'm writing. Sometimes it can be about seven or eight hours. Other times it can come closer to the full twenty four hours. However my CSS and html is still crap. ;)

Regards...jmcc
 

RedCardinal

New Member
It is based on the complexity of the code I'm writing. Sometimes it can be about seven or eight hours. Other times it can come closer to the full twenty four hours. However my CSS and html is still crap. ;)

Regards...jmcc
Some of us would never know... especially given that nice large 403 we get if we're in the wrong country ;)
 

louie

New Member
I wouldn't be able to do coding for more than 6 hours/day. My brain just gives up on me, but I do take breaks and spent some time browsing around (here for example), reading blogs, etc...
 

Solonox

New Member
Forbairt... Scooter? Holy christ!

I tend to listen to some Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Spaceman 3... might even crack on some Pink Floyd...

However .. in the same breathe i could easily lash on a bit of Slayer, DevilDriver, Pantera, Lamb of God etc.. haha ;)

Too much time coding is a very bad thing .. when i was 15 i landed myself in the hospital because i left school and literally did not leave my PC or Room for the guts of a year and a half putting in 18 hour days sometimes in front of the PC.. and i got REALLY ****in sick..

So too much coding is bad.... so i tend to listen to my body when it hits total shut down now... and just get some tea, flake out for awhile or even pack it in for the day.
 

Forbairt

Teaching / Designing / Developing
Forbairt... Scooter? Holy christ!

I tend to listen to some Led Zeppelin...

Saw Robert Plant in 2006 at Festival Du Bout Du Monde ... was out of this world :D ... no idea if I'll get to see Zeppelin on tour

can't beat a bit of Pantera - cowboys from hell :D ... and message in blood as well ...

But for coding the majority of the time its ...
Scooter - Infected Mushroom - Juno Reactor - Hallucinogen - Ayria - Utah Saints or similar :D
 

beachboy19

New Member
how to turn it off

Tech people that get into working long hours end up never being able to stop once they work over 16 hours a day for a year. :p
 

MiaDeRoca

New Member
Hey Squibs

If all I'm doing is coding (html/css/php) I find I have mini-burnouts every few hours and a total brain shutdown after about 6 hours. This despite the fact that I really enjoy the work.

Despite all the tech, geek answers here :p I have to say, that is just normal. I used to do looong session on Red Bull and Chocolate (yup the Austrian way) and it is just not healthy.
Coding is usally a work where you need full concentration - but the brain can't do this for so long time. Usually you should do mini-rests (stand up and go for a glass of water) every 15 minutes, and larger rests ( a walk around the block) every hour.
People who are longer in this business know off the bad side-efects of sitting for too long, and should also know that their error-rate rises if they work too long without rest.
For the lazy-ones out there I reccomend Yoga. Never believed it before I tried it either - I go to Yoga lessons once a week (dramatically reduced my headache), and during a day do some practices (great that nobody sees me when doing them), only a few minutes and all the muscles I don't use when sitting are being used, and I feel warmer and am concentrated again. Should have known Yoga when studying, would have lowered my coffeine-abuse.
 

MiaDeRoca

New Member
Scooter - Infected Mushroom - Juno Reactor - Hallucinogen - Ayria - Utah Saints or similar :D

:eek: Hyper, Hyper - do you still have neighbours?
Scooter as big when I was a teenager (and before the techno era swaaped over Austria). I heard that these guys are really doing well on the Asian market (and they have somehow been re-discovered by german tv since last year).
 

Forbairt

Teaching / Designing / Developing
:eek: Hyper, Hyper - do you still have neighbours?
Scooter as big when I was a teenager (and before the techno era swaaped over Austria). I heard that these guys are really doing well on the Asian market (and they have somehow been re-discovered by german tv since last year).

The joys of Wireless headphones :D ... unfortunately the soundproofing in Apartments in Ireland is ridiculous :(
When I moved from my last place I didn't even bother unpacking the subwoofer :(

Scooter seems to have a core following and they get 1 big dance tune every year or two which gains them a bigger following ..

I love austria for its apartments *sighs* big rooms / high ceilings / thick walls :) *sighs* if you've ever been to ireland you'll know what I mean.
 

Gavin

New Member
unfortunately the soundproofing in Apartments in Ireland is ridiculous :(

Tell me about it. I live in the centre of Dublin with a night club 2 doors up, it can get very annoying during the week.

I blame contractors here as they favour plaster board partitions to cut costs. They dont make them like they used to thats for sure.
 

MiaDeRoca

New Member
The joys of Wireless headphones :D ...
[...]
I love austria for its apartments *sighs* big rooms / high ceilings / thick walls :) *sighs* if you've ever been to ireland you'll know what I mean.

Been to Ireland, but did not check too much how thick walls are :p

Plaster boards are ridiculous for building, they are mere sight blockers, but definitely no sound blockers. But wireless phones are blessing for relationships too, my dear definitelyhas another taste of music.
 
D

Deleted member 444

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But for coding the majority of the time its ...
Scooter - Infected Mushroom - Juno Reactor - Hallucinogen - Ayria - Utah Saints or similar :D
roffel, I thought I was the only one! :D (utah saints anyway)
The most productive session I've had lately was with a hot mug of espresso and Altern8 (Full on Mask Hysteria).
I completed in 4 hours what I was convinced would take me all weekend.
Pity I was charging by the hour though :/
 
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