Can People Really Program 80+ Hours a Week?

ibn_khaldun asks: "A question in light of the EA controversy. I'm an academic researcher who does his own programming -- I have to eat what I kill. In my 35 years of coding experience, any time I try to work on a complex program for more than, say, 60 hours a week (coding, not just showing up) for a couple weeks at a time, I'm just asking for trouble: I generate buggy code and debugging it only makes it buggier. Numerous studies in other fields (law firms, hospitals) have shown that mistakes rise exponentially after anyone works about 50 hours per week (don't think about this if you go to the emergency room at 3 a.m.)." Are these rational working conditions? (More below.) "Does EA sprinkle magic pixie dust on their serfs to get around this problem, or is the work so trivial that it can be done while pathologically sleep deprived, or are the PHB's so technically challenged they don't realize what is going on? This whole 'death march' mentality seems absolutely crazy to me as a programmer, but appears to be common. Honestly, can someone enlighten me as to how these 80+ hour weeks ever accomplish anything?"

Comments

I think that Microsoft is using the same strategy.

[Folmer]

How else do they manage to keep their software so secure?

To answer your question: Amphetamine

No

[Anonymous Coward]

Not since Slashdot debuted.

I reload Slashdot...

[Anonymous Coward]

80 hours a week.

pixie dust...

[VirtualUK]

.....yeah of the columbian variety!

This is easy

[Junior J. Junior III]

Easy, they are overclocking their systems, and then counting the man-hours according to their CPU multiplier. The rest of the time, they are goofing off playing Quake 3 Arena for "inspiration" and "research". That's how they work high hours and yet the products still reach the shelves late.

Any other questions?

Re:Well, it can be done. But can it be done well?

[TykeClone]

But debugging that's a bit easier - just send your assistant to find out which wires are hot :)

Don't you remember the anti-drug commercial?

[PornMaster]

I do more coke so I can work more hours so I can make more money so I can do more coke.

Re:Don't you remember the anti-drug commercial?

[stor]

I do more coke so I can work more hours so I can make more money so I can do more coke.

That reminds me of a great Robocop quote:

"We rob banks to get the money to buy coke, sell the coke and make even more money!"

"Why don't we just rob more banks?"

Cheers
Stor

Re:Every play an EA game?

[WolfWithoutAClause]

Yeah, what does anyone expect?

"EA games: question everything"

Paranoia is not an uncommon response to lack of sleep from overwork :-)

Pfftt...

[Pugflop]

Sleep is no substitute for caffeine!

Re:You bet. I'm living proof.

[CommanderData]

I've coded, on average, 70 hours a week, for the last six years. This has been on my own project, which is coming along nicely (after about a dozen complete rewrites, language changes, and overhauls).

What are you working on- Duke Nukem Forever? :)

Re:You bet. I'm living proof.

[Chicane-UK]

I've coded, on average, 70 hours a week, for the last six years. This has been on my own project, which is coming along nicely (after about a dozen complete rewrites, language changes, and overhauls).

Stop posting on Slashdot Broussard, and get back to finishing Duke Nuken Forever for petes sake - you've had long enough.

Regards,

Your Investors. :)

Re:The point of diminishing returns is just the st

[JustOK]

...but if you're too tired to work properly, you're okay to DRIVE home?

Simple Answer: No.

[Qbertino]

Anybody saying otherwise is bullshitting.

Re:Well, it can be done. But can it be done well?

[Wanker]

Sorry, Frenchmen are the 21st most productive people in the world

Hmmm... let me fix that. *logs on to Wikipedia*

Done!

Re:Well, it can be done. But can it be done well?

[Feral Bueller]

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to present something like this to management in a convincing manner?

Resign.

Re:Well, it can be done. But can it be done well?

[xs650]

" You can work 80 hours in a week,"

Why, yes, I can.

My computer, unfortunately cannot. It starts making a lot of dumb mistakes during an extended days work.

So do my pencils and pens. It a damn equipment problem, I can do it, really.

Re:The point of diminishing returns is just the st

[decepty]

Fine then. More cheese for the rest of us!

Re:I think that Microsoft is using the same strate

[Dun Malg]

To answer your question: Amphetamine

"Speed" code tends to be poorly documanted and maddeningly squirrely. I've tried to use code written by a serious gak head, and it turned out to be easier to just rewrite it from scratch.

No, it's worse

[n3wtonian]

According to "All I really need to know in business I learned at
Microsoft" by Julie Bick, it says "Work until your physical pain
forces you into unconsciousness!!"

Re:What do Europeans think of us for doing this?

[Anonymous Coward]

In all honestly they laugh. In Europe there are plenty of people who have worked in the US, and they all say it takes 10 Americans to do a normal job.

The story is the same, they get in early hang around, do a bit of work, chat, a bit of work, and so on. 12 hours later they're still at the office but only achieved 5 hours productivity.

Re:Well, it can be done. But can it be done well?

[Nefarious Wheel]

It helps if you have a high-level cleric sitting there refreshing your buffs and casting major heals.

Oh, hang on ... were you talking about taking that sort of damage for real?

Re:I know a few people who've died through overwor

[Clover_Kicker]

Awesome, I know a few bosses who could use some quality time with a noose.

BTW, was the company Anderson?

Re:I think that Microsoft is using the same strate

[rhuntley12]

You should do a more indepth study on this. I volunteer to be guinea pig, for free.