The discussion over on AppropriateWikiTopics reminded me of a thought
I had during JavaOne this year. Namely that, if ever there was a crowd
that could benefit from the occasionaly lecture on nutrition and 
fitness, it was the crowd gathered in Mosconi Center this year.

Programmers tend not to be the fittest of folk. Silicon Valley programmers
are worse than average. And Java programmers, and I don't know why this is, tend to be even worse.

I mean, I'd guess that 2/3 of the attendants at JavaOne would fit the description "Bloated Marshmallow" (me too, though I'm working on it). And,
instead of recognizing this problem, the JavaOne organizers compounded it. 
Giant trash cans full of Coke. Junk food readily available. "Lunches" made entirely of fat and rendered animal parts. Movies and video games to ensure that rest periods are spent in near somnolence. Etcetera. 

Wouldn't it be great, I thought, if instead of smearing content across 7 tracks (including the oh-so-vital "Java Momentum" track), they'd saved a track for lifestyle issues. 

I have as good an attention span as anyone. And I know that 8 hours of relentless Java hype/technical-details is too much for anyone to absorb. 
Wouldn't it have been great to be able, when you wanted to take a break, 
to go learn about massage techniques. Or how to stretch. Or ways to make 
quick, yet nutritious, meals ? Good workouts that you can do over a lunch
break ? 

I wondered about it for a while, wondered why nobody ever agrees with me when I suggest things like this, and then went off to MOMA. But 
AppropriateWikiTopics brought the thought back to the surface. 

WilliamGrosso
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Here is a related topic:  WhatHappensToProgrammersWhenTheyGetOld?  Sure, there are older programmers, but most programmes that I see are under thirty, exerciseless and emaciated, or marshmallowed.  Does it eventually get to be too much?  Is programming a career for the long haul?  What should we make of the recent reports that there really is no programmer shortage.  That there are many programmers out there in their late thirties and forties, but a subtle age discrimination keeps them unemployed.

''On the contrary'' .. they're all so busy updating old COBOL programs (and making pots of money doing that) that they don't have time to go to conferences.  Besides, they probably invented most of the stuff being presented at the conferences...

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CategoryJava