Getting others motivated to code - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

insidious_machinae · 03-13-2006, 11:22 AM

Okay, so I have a little problem. This might fit on another board a little better, but it's really focused mostly on programming, so I'm putting it here.

I work as a contractor for a couple different companies doing various types of programming. I'm used to CVS and SVN, have weekly meetings and reports, and am very well focused on my work. I treat all my hobby coding projects with exactly this same level of focus.

However, when it comes to hobby projects, I can't get anyone motivated to have the same committment I have to the project. For instance, I have a Java OpenGL engine, 2 games, and a couple different applications, as well as two websites (one of which is supposed to be a group project) that I've started projects for. But NOBODY (who has any amount of programming skill) is motivated to help. Interested, yes. But when it comes down to actually writing code, nobody seems to budge. I would be okay with this if the people in question were actually BUSY people, but they aren't.

Person 1 is actually one of my roommates. 99% of the day he spends sitting on the couch in front of the TV (with his computer in front of him on the coffee table). He often complains that he's bored, so he ends up watching movie after movie all day long. I figured that knowing how good of a programmer he is, he might want to screw around with my code. He set up his connection to my SVN server after a couple days of bugging him, but since hasn't touched it.

Person 2 is a friend of mine from freshman year. She's not as good a programmer as I am, but when I asked her if she wanted to help out, she was really excited sounding. We met up at a computer lab on campus, and I showed her the code in its current state. However, that was 3 weeks ago, and she hasn't contacted me once since to get access to the SVN or anything.

Person 3 has barely any programming knowledge, but when I asked for help, he was totally interested in helping in any way he could. He drew up some maps for the engine to be tested on (which might be used for one of the games), and wishes there were more he could do. Unfortunately his job prevents him from taking the time to learn any programming languages, so he can't do much else but sit by and watch while I work on the code.

So that's just a couple examples. There's 3 more people I've tried to interest who just didn't show any interest at all, let alone motivation. So what do I do? Any suggestions? Should I just set up a project website and get people online to help?

maleficent · 03-13-2006, 11:31 AM

ever hear the expression about programmers and herding cats?

programmers are difficult to manage, and even more difficult to motivate... the motivation has to come from within themselves... from an excitement about the project...

Make sure that your objective is clear - about what you want this end result to be - and be sure that they really want to do it...

I'm not trying to sound mean here - I just can't figure out how to say this nicely - -maybe the other programmers aren't interested in your project because it's just not interesting to them... ask for input from them... to make it more interesting or to give them a sense of ownership of it - where they will get motivated to make the code as good as it possibly can be.

cybersharp · 03-13-2006, 12:37 PM

Yea I know what you mean, in my Computer Science course there are almost 10 people coding C#, yet only about 3 of use have any really interest in coding, the others just sit around talking and chilling, they will fail of course, but honestly, if there was money involved it would be a large incentive, (for most people of course).

insidious_machinae · 03-14-2006, 06:15 PM

Ugh, come to find out, Person 2 from my previous post can't help with the project because her operating system is too outdated. Dammit!

n0nsensical · 03-15-2006, 12:28 AM

I know the best way to get me to do something like that is to continually bother me about it.. otherwise it might not get done at least for a long time. I've had some people casually mention things to me, not that I really committed to anything but I would have maybe done something, but then I never hear about it again and it just gets lost. Unfortunately not all people may be as willing to be bothered, so I'm not sure if it's a good general strategy.

fat-tony · 03-15-2006, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybersharp

...the others just sit around talking and chilling, they will fail of course,

I wouldn't be so sure about that. I'm always amazed at how little work someone can do and still pass a class. I *think* that in my software engineering course, there were a few people who didn't write a single line of code, but due to their good group project still managed to pass.

Jinn · 03-15-2006, 07:45 AM

Progammers are just as varied as the rest of society, and I've met some AMAZING programmers (1000s of lines of OO code, correct the FIRST time) who hated programming unless they had to. Likewise, I've met horrible programmers who'd jump on any chance to practice.

However, it strikes me that perhaps you're not communicating the why when you ask if someone would like to help? You're doing it for some sort of intrinsic motivation it seems, one that you can't expect anyone else to truly appreciate. Do you foresee these products making money? Being used by a lot of people? What is your goal? Unfortunately, if it's just to screw around with some new ideas, its unlikely you'll get anyone else truly motivated to help you out when they could easily be masturbating or playing video games or anything else that THEY enjoy. Don't be me wrong, there ARE people out there who enjoy hobby programming.. but they're probably out on sites like sourceforce. You could consider making it open-source and posting it on SourceForge? As long as it has a goal, you might get lots of help.

That's my 2 cents.. now I'm off to go do some annoying OpenGL project for my graphics class

catback · 03-16-2006, 07:43 PM

Need to motivate them, nothing like the ol age tested and proven motivater "Money" to get them working.

Nimetic · 03-17-2006, 03:45 AM

It's got to mean something to them. And also... inertia builds slowly if you know what I mean. Perhaps if they'd written some of it, it would seem more interesting and cool.

For myself - I'd want to have ownership. Complete ownership that is, of my modules. And I'd want to feel optimism about the outcome.

It sorta sounds like - if they work on it, you'll have ownership... ?

03-13-2006, 11:22 AM	#1 (permalink)
insidious_machinae Psycho	Getting others motivated to code Okay, so I have a little problem. This might fit on another board a little better, but it's really focused mostly on programming, so I'm putting it here. I work as a contractor for a couple different companies doing various types of programming. I'm used to CVS and SVN, have weekly meetings and reports, and am very well focused on my work. I treat all my hobby coding projects with exactly this same level of focus. However, when it comes to hobby projects, I can't get anyone motivated to have the same committment I have to the project. For instance, I have a Java OpenGL engine, 2 games, and a couple different applications, as well as two websites (one of which is supposed to be a group project) that I've started projects for. But NOBODY (who has any amount of programming skill) is motivated to help. Interested, yes. But when it comes down to actually writing code, nobody seems to budge. I would be okay with this if the people in question were actually BUSY people, but they aren't. Person 1 is actually one of my roommates. 99% of the day he spends sitting on the couch in front of the TV (with his computer in front of him on the coffee table). He often complains that he's bored, so he ends up watching movie after movie all day long. I figured that knowing how good of a programmer he is, he might want to screw around with my code. He set up his connection to my SVN server after a couple days of bugging him, but since hasn't touched it. Person 2 is a friend of mine from freshman year. She's not as good a programmer as I am, but when I asked her if she wanted to help out, she was really excited sounding. We met up at a computer lab on campus, and I showed her the code in its current state. However, that was 3 weeks ago, and she hasn't contacted me once since to get access to the SVN or anything. Person 3 has barely any programming knowledge, but when I asked for help, he was totally interested in helping in any way he could. He drew up some maps for the engine to be tested on (which might be used for one of the games), and wishes there were more he could do. Unfortunately his job prevents him from taking the time to learn any programming languages, so he can't do much else but sit by and watch while I work on the code. So that's just a couple examples. There's 3 more people I've tried to interest who just didn't show any interest at all, let alone motivation. So what do I do? Any suggestions? Should I just set up a project website and get people online to help?

03-13-2006, 11:31 AM	#2 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	ever hear the expression about programmers and herding cats? programmers are difficult to manage, and even more difficult to motivate... the motivation has to come from within themselves... from an excitement about the project... Make sure that your objective is clear - about what you want this end result to be - and be sure that they really want to do it... I'm not trying to sound mean here - I just can't figure out how to say this nicely - -maybe the other programmers aren't interested in your project because it's just not interesting to them... ask for input from them... to make it more interesting or to give them a sense of ownership of it - where they will get motivated to make the code as good as it possibly can be. __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

03-13-2006, 12:37 PM	#3 (permalink)
cybersharp Insane	Yea I know what you mean, in my Computer Science course there are almost 10 people coding C#, yet only about 3 of use have any really interest in coding, the others just sit around talking and chilling, they will fail of course, but honestly, if there was money involved it would be a large incentive, (for most people of course). __________________ 0PtIcAl

03-15-2006, 12:28 AM	#5 (permalink)
n0nsensical Junkie Location: San Francisco	I know the best way to get me to do something like that is to continually bother me about it.. otherwise it might not get done at least for a long time. I've had some people casually mention things to me, not that I really committed to anything but I would have maybe done something, but then I never hear about it again and it just gets lost. Unfortunately not all people may be as willing to be bothered, so I'm not sure if it's a good general strategy. __________________ "Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." --Abraham Lincoln

03-15-2006, 07:45 AM	#7 (permalink)
Jinn Lover - Protector - Teacher Location: Seattle, WA	Progammers are just as varied as the rest of society, and I've met some AMAZING programmers (1000s of lines of OO code, correct the FIRST time) who hated programming unless they had to. Likewise, I've met horrible programmers who'd jump on any chance to practice. However, it strikes me that perhaps you're not communicating the why when you ask if someone would like to help? You're doing it for some sort of intrinsic motivation it seems, one that you can't expect anyone else to truly appreciate. Do you foresee these products making money? Being used by a lot of people? What is your goal? Unfortunately, if it's just to screw around with some new ideas, its unlikely you'll get anyone else truly motivated to help you out when they could easily be masturbating or playing video games or anything else that THEY enjoy. Don't be me wrong, there ARE people out there who enjoy hobby programming.. but they're probably out on sites like sourceforce. You could consider making it open-source and posting it on SourceForge? As long as it has a goal, you might get lots of help. That's my 2 cents.. now I'm off to go do some annoying OpenGL project for my graphics class __________________ "I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

03-14-2006, 06:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
insidious_machinae Psycho	Ugh, come to find out, Person 2 from my previous post can't help with the project because her operating system is too outdated. Dammit!

03-16-2006, 07:43 PM	#8 (permalink)
catback Psycho Location: North America	Need to motivate them, nothing like the ol age tested and proven motivater "Money" to get them working.

03-17-2006, 03:45 AM	#9 (permalink)
Nimetic Junkie Location: Melbourne, Australia	It's got to mean something to them. And also... inertia builds slowly if you know what I mean. Perhaps if they'd written some of it, it would seem more interesting and cool. For myself - I'd want to have ownership. Complete ownership that is, of my modules. And I'd want to feel optimism about the outcome. It sorta sounds like - if they work on it, you'll have ownership... ?