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On developer's block, and calling it quits. Being a programmer is hard

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Dormouse:
Well, it is very hard to make a substantial (reasonable) income out of producing a consumer application as a single coder. Most people do it on top of other work, or get a lot done when they are otherwise un (or under) employed.

That said, all jobs have their boring, nitpicking, detailed, repetitive side. The real trick is to have a job where you actually enjoy (most of) these parts as well as the 'interesting' stuff.

steeladept:
Another point is to realize just what and why you enjoy doing it.  I know for myself the reason I liked doing deskside support had nothing to do with the work which was quite repetitive and boring and had a lot to do with the fact that I got out and met nearly everyone in the company.  I didn't realize this until they forced us to start using LanDesk (remote control desktop) when I started to realize just how boring and repetitive my job really was. The part I liked facilitated the completion of the part I didn't like as much. Go figure.

Now that I am doing a completely different job, I don't have either of those factors.  Instead, I had to find a new like (still looking for those interested) and a whole new set of drudgery.  That is why I am looking at going back to school and looking both internally and externally for another job.

tomos:
I am still in the process of experiencing the existentialist heartbreak of realizing that it's not enough in this world to just do good work and be productive.

The aspects of life and making a living can be painful for many programmers, myself included, who somehow grew up believing that if we just focused on being good programmers (or good academics) and weren't interested in being rich, that everything else would just fall into place on it's own.

The shock of having to worry about irrational chaotic business issues, when these are things you really want nothing to do with, can be very frustrating.  And in this economy, with the current trends towards giant-corporations and advertising-based revenues for everything, it can feel like you are all alone out there.
-mouser (March 20, 2009, 06:13 PM)
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I think that's the case for anyone who isn't employed (i.e. for the self employed) and possibly these days for employed people too.

I used never think about money, I always scraped by, but you got to value your work, no matter what you do. And I mean value it many ways - appreciate it, enjoy it if you can, and realising it's monetary worth is part of that too. Personally I find that financial valueing difficult at times (amongst other things :-\)

What was that trashy advertising campaign - "because I'm worth it"    ;-)

zridling:
I think Vitaly's frustration also demonstrates the adage that what got you [here] won't get you [there]. He needs a change because after a certain point, further success is dependent on behavioral changes.

Except for stocking books at Barnes & Noble (a class company), every other job I've ever had sucked, as in really sucked. Even if I liked it after learning the job, I got bored with it and moved on. Thus I've never made money, just wages. I've never flipped the switch in my brain to become a corporate guy. I tried a few times, but my jobs were like working at "The Office" -- lose-lose whatever I chose!

cranioscopical:
Except for stocking books at Barnes & Noble
-zridling (April 08, 2009, 04:51 PM)
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Not to mention "Suspenders Weekly" magazine...

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