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.

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: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: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: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.

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.