What a day, what a day, what a day, what a day, etc...

I don't know about the rest of you, but I rather strongly believe in a job well done.

I like trading applications for money, but have, on occasion, worked at the rate of $0/hr just to see a project (not open source) be completed.

It satisfies me. It's so nice to see a project go from concept to completion. It feels good to look at the number of people using the software that's been built, and see relatively few complaints. It's nice to receive the occasional compliment about how much easier a particular process is thanks to a little bit of coding.

But, my friends, ARGH. It isn't nice to see a project that you've worked on, given up weekends for, and lost sleep over, get chewed into little tiny pieces and spat out by a marketing department.

It's especially irritating when the marketing department didn't have any stake whatsoever in the application. The only reason the marketers got involved with this one is that it's web-based, and so will be accessible by untold tens of people, thus raising the possibility of embarrassment to the company should a typo be found. I can agree with this - I don't want to put out an app that contains a bunch of typos. But, the department decided to get its hands dirty with the functionality as well, and without the full comprehension of the intended purpose of the application. To say the least, this has turned a very clean and shiny project into a leaking septic tank that's being eyeballed by the EPA's equivalent of the 101st Airborne.

The end result is that the application is no longer a pleasure. Sure, I'm getting paid. Sure, I've tacked on an additional amount due to compensate for changes requested, but, and I'm not kidding here, the money doesn't really matter. The money feels like a consolation prize that's been given out in place of what I really wanted: the satisfaction of a job well done.

Am I the only person who thinks like this? Am I crazy?

It isn't that I don't want the money. The money's nice (especially in light of a $40,000.00 college debt). But, if I woke up tomorrow morning and found that nobody on earth was willing to pay me to write applications, then do you know what I'd do?

I'll tell you.

I'd walk over to my computer, turn it on, and start coding.

This is because I genuinely enjoy it.

But, arghity-argh, days like today make me wish I had never made it my profession.

I should have been a movie star, or a carnival ride operator.

Anything but the often thankless job of writing applications. 

Ahhh... Carnival ride operator.

"Hang on tight," I'd say. "This is a spinny ride, and if you aren't careful, you might possibly vomit in large quantities all over yourself and innocent bystanders. So, be careful, everybody."

"Thank you," the riders would say in acknowledgment of a job well done.