[devonrevenge]

also im new to this what do i call you guys? coders, programmers something else?



i was born with squiffy mind syndrome and bungler syndrome i also have ADD so im only learning cee plus plus so i can wake my mind up but i cant think say when the washing machines going round or my girlfreind asks me questions avery few minuets...i find my head works first thing in the morning and only for a few hours

so to learn i have been waking up earlier, seems i can absorb knowledge easier...what do you guys do>

[Sergio Tapia]

Something something furiously

[strawhat89]

Damn! Somebody got in before me!

[jon.kiparsky]

Common problem. Some thoughts, for what they're worth:

Attention deficit isn't something you have, it's something you train yourself to be. We live in a big distraction machine - turn it off. Get rid of flickering, flashing, shouting, banging things - not just while you're programming, but all the time. Instead of a web client pushing email at you, use an email client that you can set to check on the hour, or less often. (ideally, you should get your email at 9:00 in the morning and 4:00 in the afternoon, but that's impossible in most working environments, since people can't manage their "emergencies")
Don't watch TV while you're programming - put on a mix of music or a stream from some source that doesn't bust in with ads every ten minutes (bye bye, free pandora) if you want audio signal.

Silence your phone - no ringer, no text alerts.

Don't get involved in conversations in the Caffeine Lounge if you're trying to get some work done.


Plan out your work schedule, break it into small chunks that you can finish in an hour. This forces you to think about the whole architecture, which is useful, and it also gives you a rhythm of completion.

Schedule regular short breaks, and stick to them. Take the breaks, even if you don't want to. If you make them too long, you can re-write your schedule next week, but give yourself a week to acclimatize. Use the breaks to check your email if you must, but make sure that you're up from the computer for at least ten minutes a couple of times in an eight-hour shift. Get a drink of water, walk around the block, smoke a smoke if that's something you do - whatever, just get away from the keyboard.

As for the girlfriend, you have to make it clear that you need to focus and she's going to have to work with that. Figure out what's going to work for the both of you, but she has to learn to decide what's important, and to judge correctly what breaks your flow and what you can roll with. She's also going to have to learn to distinguish between "I'm working now" and "I think you're an awful person and I want to break up with you". You might have to help her with that. Make a distinction between "work time" and "me time" and "us time", and make sure you have all three on the schedule - and make sure she has input into the scheduling of these.

If you're not doing it already, consider taking a programming course. Having regular lectures that have to be attended and assignments that have to be turned in and a sizable tuition bill all do wonders to concentrate the attention. You're also likely to meet a few people who you get on well with and can talk to about the material, which is amazingly helpful. I still get occasional emails from one of my collaborators from the compilers course I took a few years ago. We spent a lot of hours kicking around the assignments over g-chat, and I think neither of us would have understood the material nearly as well without that. Enrolling in a course also helps convince the girlfiend that you're actually doing something and not just finding an excuse to ignore her.

Hope some of that is useful. And I hope you don't see it for a few hours, because you're focused on your work!

[strawhat89]

Also, don't have sex in the morning. It'll divert the blood supply to your brain making you lose your precious few hours raising your efficiency.

Edited on demand.

This post has been edited by strawhat89: 08 October 2012 - 08:00 AM

[modi123_1]

Quote

squiffy mind syndrome and bungler syndrome

What? Bing and Google are failing me to find information about either.

[jon.kiparsky]

modi123_1, on 08 October 2012 - 09:26 AM, said:

Quote

squiffy mind syndrome and bungler syndrome

What? Bing and Google are failing me to find information about either.

Maybe you're just suffering from one or both.

strawhat89, on 08 October 2012 - 09:20 AM, said:

Also, don't have sex in the morning. It'll divert the blood supply to your brain making you lose your precious few hours.

This is a myth.
Please remove it before my girlfriend sees it.

[no2pencil]

strawhat89, on 08 October 2012 - 10:20 AM, said:

Also, don't have sex in the morning.

First thought :

Most programmers don't have an option to or not to do this. Those that do have it as an option, rarely turn it down.

Second thought :

Maybe this describes Indian code. American freelancers are not upset because they get all the jobs for cheap, we're upset because your getting your rocks off!

[strawhat89]

Umm.. That was supposed to be a joke.

[jon.kiparsky]

strawhat89, on 08 October 2012 - 09:57 AM, said:

Umm.. That was supposed to be a joke.

We can't take that chance. Think of the consequences before you post!

[strawhat89]

The offending post has been edited accordingly. I hope you get some candy tomorrow morning.

[no2pencil]

Offending? heh.

strawhat89, on 08 October 2012 - 10:57 AM, said:

Umm.. That was supposed to be a joke.

So was my reply.

[jon.kiparsky]

Surely you didn't think I was serious?

I'd never allow my girlfriend to read the internet - she might get all sorts of ideas.

[no2pencil]

I did! (& don't call me Shirley)

[strawhat89]

Well yeah, I got that. I just dont want to be the reason for some dude's blue balls.