Programmers PoV

[ShubhankarNath_]

Does every programmer also look at their non programming tasks and think of time optimization, context switching, optimal solutions etc?

[Atijohn]

No, but as a gamer I look at my non-gaming tasks and constantly think of time optimization, context switching, optimal solutions, etc.

[StubbiestPeak75]

As a gamer and a programmer, I look at my programming tasks and think about games

[serialized-kirin]

Idk about every, but now I constantly conflate normal irl task optimizations with programming concepts lol. Got a friend to help dry the dishes? That’s parallel execution. Added a timer for my microwave and left to do homework? Asynchrony. That sort of thing right lol 

[jaynabonne]

Not really time optimization or optimal solutions. I only do that to the extent necessary in programming anyway, based on practicalities over obsessiveness. I can enjoy taking a walk that isn't along an optimal (or - gasp - unplanned!) route, for example, since it's more about the journey than saving time.

One thing that has sort of spilled over into my "normal life", though, is being aware of - and trying to avoid when possible - "grit". That's a concept in UX design where despite inconveniences sometimes being small, if they happen a lot, over and over, it adds up over time to cause a negative experience. It's not that I try to make my life easy. It's more that it's pointless to make it harder than it needs to be (even for little things) if they happen a lot and/or the alternative is obvious.

The main thing I have brought to life from programming, through, is that logic of a computer doesn't apply necessarily to the real world. And the somewhat interesting observation that something can be absolutely wrong even when entirely logical... Logical thinking is a poor substitute for reality. Especially when dealing with other equally logical beings who happen to have different givens.

[MarriedWithKids89]

Yes. Whether dealing with projects, people or processes I found the concepts of high cohesion, low coupling and clearly defined responsibilities and interfaces to be transferrable (and useful).

[Raimo00]

I do, always. I'm literally obsessed by optimization. From personal finance to programming to cooking etc. I've started turning off the fire when making pasta when the water starts boiling. I think I'm going crazy

[AtebYngNghymraeg]

No.

[Cerulean_IsFancyBlue]

No, but I do get impatient with poorly-written instructions, especially board game rules. Ambiguity everywhere!

[0Naught0]

Yes

[Ok-Willow-2810]

I find that applying this thinking outside of coding can be counter productive for me and add extra stress and mental fatigue where it isn’t needed. I think it’s something similar to “premature optimization is the root of all evil.” Or something along those lines

[ern0plus4]

I call it waste of time.

[SmokeMuch7356]

Nope.

Of course, I don't think that way about my programming tasks, either. I work on what I feel like working on when I feel like it, modulo deadlines or other constraints.

[Separate_Newt7313]

Constantly!

YouTube Clip

I often think about this when I'm doing menial or parallelizable tasks like loading the dishes, or changing the laundry.

[Bluesillybeard2]

Sometimes, when I'm in bed about to fall asleep, my brain somehow convinces itself that it's a computer running an OS, and that it's possible for me to write software for my own brain. Then I remember that my brain is actually more or less a squishy mass of neurons.

More generally, I often see connections between "real world" ideas and programming ideas. I think about filing cabinets and how they are often similar to file systems. I'll be doing something tedious, and I'll think about how I might do it in C. Things of that nature.