I read this article after reading about the article about the upcoming release of 666 "Doom Boxes" ($666 each). But the hyperbole concerning the "28 hour" code marathon seems to me like propaganda -an effort to exploit young programmers for hire, as if their ideal should be to pull off these stunts.
Yes and no. I've been there, many times. It's just like... you get a zone where you have loads of details all in your head, and the feeling of fitting all the pieces together or solving the roadblocks hit is sort of addictive.
Progress is often uneven. There are days when I get a little done, here and there, but meetings and various disruptions conspire to drag down my productivity. A lot of times, what it takes is just long sessions of uninterrupted productivity. When I'm in one of those, it's a waste to cut it short, just because the clock tells me it's a certain hour. Ideally, I just go until I have a biological need to stop. At the end, it's pretty much always gratifying.
Of course, the dark side is when you face deadline pressure and feel like you have no choice but to slog through it, in a jittery caffeinated haze. That's when a lot of bugs tend to creep in, and you can get stuck on things that seem very clear after a bit of sleep and nutrition.
If you want to think coders are "doomed" to be workaholics, you go ahead,
There are definitely work-a-day programmers, for sure. However, the most talented developers I've worked with all had a passion for the craft that propelled them beyond the 9-to-5 workday.
my advice is make sure you're working for yourself!
Very early in my career, I noticed that rewards had little to do with effort. A developer producing much more or better output than others wouldn't get proportionately compensated. You could just see that and become embittered and parsimonious with your time, but the approach I took was to look at the intangibles I was getting from the experience. It also helped build my reputation and esteem, among my coworkers, and that leads to new opportunities.
Is it reasonable to even encourage young employees to do stuff like this? Hell, no!
I wouldn't push anyone into a particular work style. They need to feel it out and find what works for them.
do yourselves a favor and touch grass.
True. Exercise is definitely important. I particularly love taking long walks, when I'd hit a problem I needed to contemplate or had other stuff on my mind that was too distracting.
it's more reasonable to play 28 hours of Doom then to replicate Carmack's feat.
The last all-night gaming session I had was when I was a teen. Since then, I've avoided getting into any MMO's or highly-involved games. Pretty much the only type of game I'll play is something I can pick up for 30 minutes and not come back to for another month. Games can be a good way to socialize or blow off steam, but most of the challenges in games is artificial - and therefore, so is the gratification you get from beating them. I'd rather put my time & energy into solving real problems that have real value - either to myself or others.
Then again, I don't pretend to know what's best for anyone else. So, take that with a grain of salt.