Do Long Work Hours Affect Code Quality?

tooTired asks: "At my company the owner is heavily implying that the development staff needs to start working longer hours and weekends to shorten the time-frames on our current projects. The exact quote is 'These 8 hour days have to stop, we need to be working 15 hours a day and weekends, balls to the wall.' We are heavily under-staffed even with my multiple attempts to show the owner that we need more resources. My general feeling is that long hours is generally a symptom of poor project management, and not something to be sought after. I wanted to ask the Slashdot community their opinions on how working long hours during the week and weekends affects the quality of the code they produce, and the overall success of the project." A large reason why many in this industry find themselves working long hours and weekends is that management makes unreasonable expectations and deadlines. Are there ways of communicating to management that long hours to rush a project to completion is not the way to complete a successful project? Update: 08/30 23:11 GMT by C :Grammatical errors in title, corrected. Sorry about that.

Eh?

[doublesix]

Long hours seem to affect spelling.

I don't know if they affect code quality...

[3waygeek]

but they obviously affect the grammatical skills [dictionary.com] of the editors.

And next on Ask Slashdot!

[gatesh8r]

"Do stellar objects really emit light?" and "Does unoptimized code really run slower?"

Re:I don't know if they affect code quality...

[7-Vodka]

MY god! I'm loosing IQ points by reading /.
Ho would have thunk it?

I think I'll coin a new phrase:

Illiterate by /.

Re:And next on Ask Slashdot!

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't you mean:

"Does steller objekts really emmit lite?"
and
"Do unoptimisd code realy run slowerly?"

Well personally...

[Anonymous Coward]

A demmand of 10 hour days will get my boss a grumble and an "OK, if we have to we have to."

A demmand of 12 hour days will get my boss a moan and an "OK, if you buy me dinner."

A demmand of 15 hour days will get my boss a scream and an "Are you F***ing nuts?! I want a 50% raise!"

A demmand of weekends on top of that will get my boss a foot in his ass.

There is no reason to put up with it. A *request* maybe but not a demmand. Also, if you don't refuse and let them walk all over you, they will expect to be able to do so with everyone they hire. Before long 15 hour days will seem a happy memory. This is the sort of thing that would spread throughout the industry. Before long it would be mass hystaria. Dogs and cats, living together in sin...

Re:Walking Papers, body bags

[Qrlx]

If the unemployment rate isn't too bad in your area, I'd be telling them to...

I got a better idea: Go in there with a loaded shotgun, blow away the receptionist, your boss, and whoever's at the water cooler, and then turn the gun on yourself. Your message will be heard loud and clear all over the evening news, trust me. Also, it's very important that you kill yourself, or the press will paint you as some kind of deranged office killer without mentioning the note you've left on your dresser stating the 15-hour day made you do it.

Wait, you don't work where I do, do ya? Nevermind everything I just said if you work in Seattle.

Good luck on the rampage!

Next Policy To Be Implemented

[ryanisflyboy]

"We've had you guys slaving away 15 hours a day and the amount of time squashing bugs has increased 200%. You're just not working hard enough. As of today we will require all programmers to move into the office so that you can work without wasting valuable time commuting. Cots will not be allowed inside the cubes so you will need to bring your own sleeping bags and pillows. You will be allowed 5 hours of sleep every 15 hours only if your code is 99% bug free. Visiting slashdot is off limits, and any programmer attempting to do so will be forced to write documentation for 36 hours straight. Those of you who are married will need to sign the divorce papers by next Tuesday to retain employment with the company. That is all."

Re:Sheesh, this is 4th grade stuff, Cliff

[Mignon]

This suggests a whole new meaning to "Slashdot Effect" - Long hours editing Slashdot submissions affects grammar.

Re:Eh?

[Waffle Iron]

What's the difference between grammar and spelling?

Grammar errors are underlined with green squiggleys.

Spelling errors are underlined with red squiggleys.

Re:Agreed

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, I figured you were going to claim to be a libertarian, whereupon I planned on calling you an imbecile. I was just trying to save the intervening step.

Libertarians are just would-be plutocrats who haven't gotten their mansion and their private security force yet.