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How To Get Out of Developer's Block?
Midnight Thunder writes "I have spent the past six months working on a software project, and while I can come up with ideas, I just can't seem to sit down in front of the computer to code. I sit there and I just can't concentrate. I don't know whether this is akin to writer's block, but it feels like it. Have any other Slashdotters run into this and if so how did you get out of it? It is bothering me since the project has ground to a halt and I really want to get started again. I am the sole developer on the project, if that makes a difference."
Mhmmm.... get a job as a project manager ?
Sit yourself down for a half hour, promising yourself that at the end of the half hour, you'll get up and take a break.
Repeat.
Expand to 45 minutes. Repeat.
Etc...
Oh, and stop whining.
LSD and Weed, just stock up on Doritos and Grateful dead CDs beforehand.
A Magic the Gathering Article and Forum Aggregator
..whether because you think your project will make the world a better place or just cause you think your coding style is gonna get you laid.
Motivate yourself - doesn't matter how or what, as long as it's something you care enough about to put ahead of other stuff you obviously find more fun. Like asking questions on Slashdot.
echo '0.0.0.0 slashdot.org' >> /etc/hosts
Drink enough beer and you will wake up with the project completely finished.
You won't remember how, plus there might be some residual traffic cones and hookers in your office.
This will terminate your code block.
as bullet points.
The expand o each bullet point until you have psuedo code.
Then call some guy in India to finish it.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
A five-mile run followed by 50 continuous push-ups followed by sex with a girl
Funny, for me it's usually trying to have sex with 50 girls, ending up doing what amounts to one push up during the act, and watching her run a mile.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
In one ear you have your manager asking you what you did and what you're doing every freaking day, and in the other you have yourself pointing out that you desperately need a vacation.
Is he asking in your right ear?
Damn, I just pictured my CEO lighting his cigar with a $100 bill. Now I'll never get any work done.
Did his joke make you feel Bad? Was it Dangerous? or just to Off The Wall?
When he has his funeral, will you feel like you Got To be There?
Clearly, you feel he will go down in History, but not for being Invincible.
I guess you will say goodbye Forever, Michael it's be a real Thriller.
Well, there will always be the music and me.
Damn, I wish you were named Ben.
Did I miss one?
Sorry for AC apparently I posted too much.
Work, n: that stuff you did in school, and have avoided ever since.
I'm currently having a similar problem writing my thesis. Luckily, the bit I'm onto at the moment is the "big thing" that I've been working on, but it's still hard to get cracking on writing. Here's a little snippet:
A multi-marker approach for quantifying genetic variation has been
demonstrated, using an ideal model population for this task. The
benefit of using multiple markers has been previously shown by
\citet{marchini05}, who found that a multi-marker approach will
generate more informative results, even after considering the
multiple-testing cost. The approach here has used a bootstrapping
method, which may help in the removal of false positive signal that is
common in GWAS \citep[][see]{wellcome07,healy06}.
I've had a go at trying to think through reasons for my writing block, and have narrowed it down to the following:
I suppose I could keep going for another hour or so, but I have a thesis to write.
Ask me about repetitive DNA
In that case go to bed early, next to a window facing north. Wait 4 months. Wake up in sunlight.
Do you even know anything about perl? -- AC Replying to Tom Christiansen post.
"I have spent the past six months working on a software project, and while I can come up with ideas, I just can't seem to sit down in front of the computer to code. I sit there and I just can't concentrate.
What a coincidence!
I have spent the past six months working on a software project, and while I can come up with ideas, I CAN sit down in front of the computer and I CAN concentrate.
Now, if I only knew how to code!
Get yourself an ANCIENT, HORRIBLE laptop for browsing and other non-work computing -- something you'll stop as soon as possible
I like to use a Lenovo system loaded with all their latest software for that job
Chapter 11? That's kind of like a bankruptcy in motivation.
Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
Letting a semi colon hold you up for days shows that your approach to programming is half-arsed.
Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all weak.
I don't therefore I'm not.
You might also take the approach that video games do - track the work you do. Reward yourself for making milestones.
* Midnight Thunder has earned the achievement [Installing Windows]!
Homonyms are fun!
You're driving your car, but they're riding their bikes there.