Don't Disturb the Programmers!

[Andrew Schreiber]

Our programmers have a room in between our other rooms. They have blocked out all natural lighting and seem to be building a nest of ethernet cables. I'm thinking of putting in a Mountain Dew bottle for them. Probably won't since we'd never get them out of there then.

Seriously, why do programmers have a nesting habit?

Disclaimer: I am a programmer but I have a couple people who are much more interested and I am needed elsewhere, I reserve the right to make fun of them.

[indubitably]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

Our programmers have a room in between our other rooms. They have blocked out all natural lighting and seem to be building a nest of ethernet cables. I'm thinking of putting in a Mountain Dew bottle for them. Probably won't since we'd never get them out of there then.

Seriously, why do programmers have a nesting habit?

Disclaimer: I am a programmer but I have a couple people who are much more interested and I am needed elsewhere, I reserve the right to make fun of them.

I kind of want to build a blanket fort in our library now, lol.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by indubitably

I kind of want to build a blanket fort in our library now, lol.

You mean like,
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...191_414697.jpg (Sorry for the FB link, it is the only place I have the picture anymore). Some back story, the first night of a term we were really bored and decided to build a fort so we used some extra shelving units and built that. It stayed up for 2 more weeks. People were so confused to see a bunch of college students having a blanket fort.

Couple tips though, make sure it is stable and that you have adequate air flow. Also, NEVER think about soldering in there.

[Alexander Meyer]

Our programming subteam--or, as I like to call it, "my minions and I"--does all our work ten feet away from mechanical's very loud set of table saws.

[bladetech932]

The best thing about programming on our team is we make a program for the possibilities of what the build team could build and build test platforms to run the code and most of the time are done before the robot

[All Bones]

Our programmer(s?) get a table in the corner surrounded by the electrical work. But then again a maximum group of 5 people with one laptop and one netbook doesn't really need much more room, so it all works out

[Dustin Shadbolt]

We have a "computer shack" in our shop that houses the programmer and our fancy PCs.

[germansamurai16]

The 2 programmers on the team and I have resorted to using the small hallway near the room as our nest. Far enough away from the room so that the machines are not overpowering any discussion that might happen, but also close enough to the door outside since we have to get online using tethering or hope its a nice day to get optimum wifi.

School won't give the team the password for the wifi, not since the incident ....

[Twisted eric]

My team just got a shiny new building all for three classes if a building for five classes and the biggest room is dedicated to our robot so we split the building (two story) oh and we have a rotunda that can hold half of a field we got real lucky so we split the two rooms not in use for programmers and website/dinning hall

[Roger]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

Seriously, why do programmers have a nesting habit?

This is an interesting question, but I don't know the answer. I can understand the darkened room (less screen glare). We recently got window shades and I was thinking that it would be nice to put little motors on them to automatically pull them closed when the programming computers turn on...

On a similar vein, why do the shop people come into our field room and work on the robot right there? The other day they were tearing apart the robot literally two steps inside the door, and everyone else was tripping over them to get around them. This is a 1000 sf room and you picked here? (Not to mention that they have their own shop room.)

The only good decision setting up this room was the soda machine is at the opposite end of the room from the entrance and from the programmers. It's the only exercise they get sometimes...

Oh, geeze, don't even suggest a blanket fort!

[nitneylion452]

Originally Posted by Roger

On a similar vein, why do the shop people come into our field room and work on the robot right there? The other day they were tearing apart the robot literally two steps inside the door, and everyone else was tripping over them to get around them. This is a 1000 sf room and you picked here? (Not to mention that they have their own shop room.)

Being a shop guy, I think I may be able to answer this question. We want to work on the robot where it is at the current time because it's easier for us to walk and get tools that for us to constantly shuffle the robot back and forth. My team has been working on the robot in the darkest corner of our shop (we use flashlights and cell phone screens to see) for about a week because our computers are there and (of course) the programmers are there. Hope this sheds some light on the situation. Not too much though! (Get it? Too much light and you'd need sun glasses. Stretch? I'll crawl back into my corner now)

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

Our programmers have a room in between our other rooms. They have blocked out all natural lighting and seem to be building a nest of ethernet cables. I'm thinking of putting in a Mountain Dew bottle for them. Probably won't since we'd never get them out of there then.

Seriously, why do programmers have a nesting habit?

Disclaimer: I am a programmer but I have a couple people who are much more interested and I am needed elsewhere, I reserve the right to make fun of them.

Strangely enough, when I did some of the programming for 816 (2007-ish) I would shut myself into one of the smaller rooms in our build space, turn the lights off and ignore everyone while I was working.

Maybe it's because a computer screen is easier to see/read when the lights are off?

(Yes, there was a point in time when I knew how to program a robot.)

[Robby Unruh]

Some of your guys' programmers have it way too good. I'm jealous.

[bladetech932]

We love our space and the gigantic window so we can close the door turn off the lights and still see the build team working!

P.S. yes, programmers do have nesting habits and they are best not disturbed in their natural habitat because they are very territorial creatures!!!

[CastleBravo]

Originally Posted by bladetech932

yes, programmers do have nesting habits and they are best not disturbed in their natural habitat because they are very territorial creatures!!!

Yes, we are territorial creatures. On our team, we arbitrarily assigned several of the nicer chairs as "programming chairs" and reserve them.