Discussion on: Programmers who only code at work

I often code significantly outside of work (several hours a week). And there are a few things I want to say about that:

• I really enjoy coding. If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't do it on my own time, and I might not even do it as a career.
• I learn a lot more from my side projects than I do on the job. The nature of a side project demands it: everything is up to you. You have to learn how to do everything from beginning to end, because (unless you're very lucky) no one else is going to do it for you.
• My excitement about side projects ebbs and flows. Sometimes I'll go a couple of months without doing any coding outside of work. I would hate it if coding outside of work became a requirement or expectation at any job.
• I have definitely been given advantage over other candidates in the job application process because I'm able to talk an interviewer's ear off about the side projects I'm working on and how awesome they are.
• I don't have a CS degree, so I often feel like I have something to prove. My GitHub graveyard is one of the ways I demonstrate that I can kick it with the grads. I believe that every self-taught programmer must face the same existential challenge, although there are other ways to do it.
• Programming experience, in my opinion, is pretty fungible. A guy that has four years of work experience plus six years of hacking around in his spare time is often comparable to someone who has 10 or so years of work experience.
• Scientists and tradesmen (doctors, chemists, plumbers) aren't usually expected to "practice" in their spare time. Artists (actors, photographers, writers) often are. I see programming as somewhere between these two worlds. And I think either approach can be successful.

Side projects are just one way to prove that you're passionate about your work and willing to learn new things. If you'd rather surf outside of work, that's cool -- someday I hope to have a hobby as cool as that -- but you'll have to be prepared for competition from those who live, breathe, and poop code. Doesn't mean you can't win. :)