Resource Allocation Fallacy and Mis-interpretation of Purpose [LWN.net]

Resource Allocation Fallacy and Mis-interpretation of Purpose

Posted Nov 30, 2008 22:10 UTC (Sun) by nix (subscriber, #2304)
In reply to: Resource Allocation Fallacy and Mis-interpretation of Purpose by clump
Parent article: Linux boots on the iPhone

Well, technically you can't actually work on more than one thing at the
same actual instant.

However, the argument is still fallacious: nobody complains because
hackers spend some time sleeping, or eating, or reading, or going on
holiday, but those activities too take time from coding. So if you're
going to complain about time spent on rare architectures or yet another
wheel, complain first about time spent sleeping which could be spent
writing code. (You don't need to sleep *that* much, do you? Just one hour
off... then another one...)

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Resource Allocation Fallacy and Mis-interpretation of Purpose

Posted Dec 1, 2008 19:17 UTC (Mon) by RobertBrockway (guest, #48927) [Link]

Some very good comments. It is their time and they may spend it how they wish. Some other important points:

1. They may learn something from the apparently pointless task that they may not have otherwise learnt. These new found skills may be useful in other projects.

2. Code they develop may well help other projects solve problems too. Not all code on a closed platform is going to pertain to closed interfaces.

3. Humans actually perform _better_ if they take a break from their regular tasks. Going on holiday is good for you, and working on a side project can be a good diversion too.