Coding and drinking

[WarDaft]

Do alcohol and programming mix?









I checked, we don't seem to have a thread on this yet.

[Xanthir]

Yes. At least, while you're drinking.

In all seriousness, some types of programming tasks do feel easier when I've had a beer. In particular, I find it much easier to write specs.

[Proginoskes]

"Type a semicolon; take a drink."

(Gulp!)

Traditionally, it's programming and smoking that generally occur together.

[Jplus]

How about programming and taking magic mushrooms?

[freakish777]

Traditionally, it's programming and smoking that generally occur together.

Or any task done in an office setting and caffeine.




I'm sure we've all run into "That Guy/Girl" who insists that their better at Math/Programming/Science/Driving while high.

[scarecrovv]

Not so sure about coding drunk, but I find it much easier to write lots of code very quickly if I'm tired. Not really really tired, mind you, but there's a zone where I'm too tired to be distractable, but not tired enough for my brain to shut off completely. It works especially well if it's boring code, without too much thought involved. If I want to do something really clever that takes lots of thought, I need to be awake, but then it's too interesting for me to get distracted.

So basically, it's all about my ability to pay attention.

[Dopefish]

I agree that I code best when I'm in a bit of a haze (e.g. tired, but not falling asleep tired), as I'm apt to stay focused without getting distracted as above

I haven't actually had occasion to mix coding and alcohol, but unlike driving, it actually doesn't seem like it'd be all that bad. The depressant aspects of alcohol would work to put you into that optimal coding haze state, and although you might come up with some questionable variable names, I reckon you could still throw together a functioning program at least as well as when perfectly sober.

[Breakfast]

How about programming and taking magic mushrooms?

This would never work. Things like staring at the sky and turning off lights becomes way more important than coding. I bet you'd get some pretty crazy designs if you managed it though. Documentation would be even better.

Alcohol always seemed to make me code better. At the very least I was able to make connections more easily sometimes.

I wonder what the best drug for coding would be? We could use them a performance enhancers.

[Carnildo]

I wonder what the best drug for coding would be? We could use them a performance enhancers.

Programming fluid, of course!

[Steax]

I avoid any drink with ice in it, because then I get obsessed about trying to consume it before the ice fully melts. It does give a documented speed burst, however...

[sourmìlk]

Balmer peak aside, I really don't see how a substance that impairs critical thinking could possibly assist with programming.

[freakish777]

Balmer peak aside, I really don't see how a substance that impairs critical thinking could possibly assist with programming.

As an incentive for highly intelligent individuals to do menial programming task that they would otherwise feel are below them.

Manager at Shady Start Up: "Hey Bro, this hack-athon is going to be sweet, we thought of everything, even free beer!"
New College Grad: "I don't think I want to give up my weekend, I just did that for 4 years to get a degree..."
Manager at Shady Start Up: "Come on! Where's your commitment to Shady Start Up?! And BEER!"


(joking, obv the Manager at Shady Start Up also implies that New College Grad could lose his job, and that's the real incentive)

[Proginoskes]

How about programming and taking magic mushrooms?

This would never work. Things like staring at the sky and turning off lights becomes way more important than coding. I bet you'd get some pretty crazy designs if you managed it though. Documentation would be even better.

I heard that computer programming was the profession with the largest use of drugs in the 1960s-1970s. Don't remember the source, though.

[Xanthir]

Balmer peak aside, I really don't see how a substance that impairs critical thinking could possibly assist with programming.

Guessing: Because alcohol, as a mild depressant, makes it easier to shut off the babbling portion of your brain and get into the zone?

[Mortomes]

I can't believe no one has referenced the Ballmer peak yet.

[Dason]

sourmilk did about 4 posts above you. And Xanthir quoted it in the post directly above yours.

[undecim]

Ducks are assholes.

I can't believe no one has referenced the Ballmer peak yet.

They have, but Microsoft keeps sending Randall DMCA takedowns.

[thoughtfully]

Otters, on the other hand, are pretty f'ing badass.

[WarDaft]

And a freakish otter duck hybrid, well... to be honest, it defies explanation.

I wonder just how many votes we can get before we get a vote for duck.

[Meem1029]

So I was randomly browsing reddit and came across a relevant article.

[Shivahn]

Balmer peak aside, I really don't see how a substance that impairs critical thinking could possibly assist with programming.

Guessing: Because alcohol, as a mild depressant, makes it easier to shut off the babbling portion of your brain and get into the zone?

Systems don't shut off all at the same time, and effects are dose dependent, so a mechanism like that's entirely plausible.

You have to drink more than a little to get significant critical thinking impairment. Similar to how amphetamines can help you get tasks done, even though they also cause psychosis.

[The Geoff]

In my experience any altered state of mind can help, but only if you've been stuck on a problem for a while. Your brain gets into a little rut, you keep attacking the problem and nothing works - but then you do something that changes your thought processes (drinking, smoking, going to bed, I've even found kitesurfing and rock climbing to work), and bam, epiphany time.

Obviously some of these are healthier than others, but in general a "CTRL-ALT-DELETE" on your brain seems to be beneficial when you're stumped.

[Missinggoat]

I actually had a fairly adverse reaction the other day. I'd spent two hours putting some finishing touches on page I was coding, then I bought a nice Mac 'n' Jack's. I struggled the last half hour to finish up the task. I forgot everything about my code and couldn't make connections between the javascript and php. It was a little disappointing. But I got it done.

[TheAmazingRando]

A little bit of alcohol can get you in the zone. Too much and you're in another zone altogether.

More importantly, though, there are times when coding can be a very menial task, requiring just enough intelligence and focus to be impossible to automate, but not enough to actually be stimulating. In situations like this I find that a bit of distraction is beneficial. It keeps you from focusing on how boring the task is, and what you might lose in immediate productivity you gain in walking away without feeling like a zombie, and falling asleep without seeing code every time you close your eyes, or breaking down your dreams into a context-free grammar.

[Falling]

Just came across this:

Spoiler:

Seems to apply pretty well to code writing as well

[WarDaft]

That particular tactic might help with Kernighan's law actually. As long as you practice writing code with good style conventions even after having a bit to drink, you should be able to figure out what you were trying to do and then fix it while you're sober, then it might actually be downright helpful. Might also be decent practice finding out just how good your coding conventions are when you have much less mental connection with what you were thinking when you wrote it. If your drunken self can explain the code to your sober self, then your sober self should be able to explain it to the next person that has to work on it.

[undecim]

I'm going to have to do some research on this topic...

[WarDaft]

Nooooooo.....

Someone finally voted duck.

Hmm, this gives me an idea for a forum game.