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Last post Author Topic: What do you do during your free time?  (Read 37039 times)

alivingspirit

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What do you do during your free time?
« on: August 14, 2008, 09:46 PM »
After programming for the past two months, I'm really starting to get into the whole mindset of programming.
However, ( now don't take me too seriously ) I wonder how this is going to effect me.  :D
Am I going to slowly turn into an antisocial slob who remains unmarried, plays lots of MMOs, and has more virtual friends than real friends?

Or is that all really a mistaken stereotype?
If it is, what do coders really do in their free time?
If not, why is this so?   

Shades

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2008, 11:08 PM »
It is very likely that I am going to score points for the stereo-typical camp with this comment...but hey!

When I have free time I play Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (2nd Edition...for other die-hards here?  ;)) or prepare stuff for playing. A lot of the free hours (or should I say 'wee hours') also go into playing online race games.

And the biggest problem of all this is that in this country there are more women than men...and since I am a 'gringo' here a lot of females take notice of me when I do go and/or eat out. It's always a topic of conversation between me and my friends here. ;)

I know, I know...time to grow up!  ;D

zridling

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2008, 12:30 AM »
I play way too much chess. Otherwise, I'm obsessive about getting rid of clutter in closets, the garage, and the basement. (My mom is one of those nuts who hasn't thrown anything away since the 70s and it FREAKS ME OUT.)

Darwin

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2008, 12:55 AM »
I read a lot. I go in cycles - I'll read one fiction author obsessively and then swtich to non-fiction and read in one subject area for a while, usually peripheral to, but sometimes spot on, my PhD disseatation topic. I also love to ride my bike in the early morning and spend time with my kids. Finally, I like to make clutter - I let it accumulate until it reaches a critical mass and then go a de-cluttering orgy because I really can't stand it (clutter - orgies are OK)!

Sugar

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2008, 01:20 AM »
I shoot every living thing I can find.  Also some dead things. (photography).  Mainly I shoot landscapes, but occasionally I surprise me with portraits.  Lots of opportunity in this Wild, Wonderful West Virginia place. 

I'd like Darwin to come visit when he's at Critical Mass stage.  Our closet needs some SERIOUS attention.  :-\
Me, Ambivalent? Well, yes and no.....

Sugar

alivingspirit

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2008, 11:24 AM »
Wow, I guess I'm not that different after all.
I used to play magic the gathering allot. I probably would have played D&D if it was introduced to me.
Now I just read allot of fiction and have an obsession with coding.

mouser

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2008, 11:25 AM »
don't fight it, embrace it.

Gothi[c]

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2008, 02:17 PM »
I think many will agree, that when coders have free time, they ... code :D
Only, on personal projects instead of work projects ;)

Deozaan

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2008, 08:59 PM »
I'm not a programmer by profession (yet?) so in my free time I'd rather be coding or playing video games.  :)

app103

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2008, 10:34 PM »
Am I going to slowly turn into an antisocial slob who remains unmarried, plays lots of MMOs, and has more virtual friends than real friends?
-alivingspirit (August 14, 2008, 09:46 PM)

  • I am a highly social recluse.
  • I prefer the term "packrat" rather than slob.
  • I am married.
  • I don't really play games any more, like I used to, unless they are of the really good puzzle type.
  • Yes, I do have more virtual friends that real life ones, but I currently have more real life friends than I used to have, too. Some virtual friendships have made the jump to real life.

So what did coding (and other things I do with my computer) replace?

The only things that have changed is that I don't do as much these things as I used to:
  • crocheting
  • embroidery
  • beadwork
  • painting
  • sewing
  • leisure shopping
  • fingernail painting
  • tv watching
  • playing classic Atari games
  • coupon cutting
  • crap collecting (the physical type, digital crap doesn't count)

And I don't spend as much money on craft supplies. When I have the urge to be creative, it can now be satisfied, digitally. And my creations don't take up extra space in my house or get ruined in the laundry.

And coding is much better for me than crafts, in another important way...

I could spend $50+ on yarn, crochet for a month straight, and when I am finished I have only 1 afghan, and I am unwilling to part with it because of the amount of money & work that went into it.

It is a one-of-a-kind object.  If I sell it or give it away, I have given away or sold a part of myself that I'll never get back, and I will never be able to recover the value of my time & efforts, and most likely not recover the cost of materials, either.

If I create software, I can share it, sell it, and still have it to enjoy, myself.

With coding, I get to have my cake & eat it too.  :D


Renegade

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #10 on: August 18, 2008, 08:00 AM »
crap collecting (the physical type, digital crap doesn't count)

Hahahaha~!

I am suffering less from this, but still suffering! :)

Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

Renegade

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #11 on: August 18, 2008, 08:03 AM »
It is very likely that I am going to score points for the stereo-typical camp with this comment...but hey!

When I have free time I play Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (2nd Edition...for other die-hards here?  ;)) or prepare stuff for playing. A lot of the free hours (or should I say 'wee hours') also go into playing online race games.

I used to play the first edition. I even had the original Dieties & Demigods with the Melnibonean mythos and Cthulu mythos in them! (All others were original covers.)

And the biggest problem of all this is that in this country there are more women than men...and since I am a 'gringo' here a lot of females take notice of me when I do go and/or eat out. It's always a topic of conversation between me and my friends here. ;)

I know, I know...time to grow up!  ;D

Where do you live? ;)


Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

cranioscopical

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #12 on: August 18, 2008, 08:52 AM »
What is this thing 'free time' and where can I get some?


Shades

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #13 on: August 18, 2008, 09:27 AM »
Free time....it's in the box next to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Santa didn't tell you?

40hz

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #14 on: August 18, 2008, 09:53 AM »
What is this thing 'free time' and where can I get some?


-cranioscopical (August 18, 2008, 08:52 AM)

Me too. I'd like to know where I can just "get" some free time.

So far, the only free time I've ever enjoyed was the kind I went out and made for myself. ;D

40hz

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #15 on: August 18, 2008, 09:58 AM »
And the biggest problem of all this is that in this country there are more women than men...and since I am a 'gringo' here a lot of females take notice of me when I do go and/or eat out.

Yeah, that can be a real bummer... ;)

cthorpe

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #16 on: August 18, 2008, 12:31 PM »
In no particular order:

Watch tv/movies with my wife.  Our current fav is Battlestar Galactica (no spoilers please, we're only in season 2)
Read
Play Oblivion or Bioshock on my PC
Play Guitar Hero or NBA 2k7 on PS2 and Xbox with my wife
Cook

C

Darwin

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #17 on: August 18, 2008, 12:38 PM »
Our current fav is Battlestar Galactica (no spoilers please, we're only in season 2)

The butler did it...

cthorpe

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #18 on: August 18, 2008, 12:40 PM »
Our current fav is Battlestar Galactica (no spoilers please, we're only in season 2)

The butler did it...

Crap!  :'(

We were certain that it was the chauffeur.

Darwin

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #19 on: August 18, 2008, 12:44 PM »
We were certain that it was the chauffeur.

Accomplice...

allen

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #20 on: August 21, 2008, 09:06 AM »
I have the best of both worlds--not so much MMO's, but video games occupy a good bit of my free time. But I am not unmarried!

Re:Battlestar Galactica, in preparation for the final season my wife and I watched all of the previous seasons (all but Razor, which we've not heard great things about) -- amazing show, so glad we waited to get into it though. The cliffhangers were bad enough spread over a few minutes or days. Watching it live, it would have been awful. (We kept saying last season we should have waited for it to finish rather than watch it episodically)

alivingspirit

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #21 on: August 21, 2008, 12:48 PM »
 :greenclp: Battlestar Gallactica Yay!!!

40hz

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #22 on: August 22, 2008, 01:25 PM »
firefly.jpg

Sometimes (when I'm feeling poorly) I take a long walk - and try, for the millionth time, to figure out why they canceled Firefly.

Darwin

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #23 on: August 22, 2008, 01:27 PM »
Firefly? Warrants a google, I guess!

Darwin

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Re: What do you do during your free time?
« Reply #24 on: August 22, 2008, 01:30 PM »
Hmm... looks like it might have been interesting! Was on when I was living in the UK without a tv, hence my ignorance...