1 - Make time for more than a quickie.
Most guys first learn to program in secret and furtive ways. They do it quickly and need to figure out what to do with the evidence afterward. This can create a powerful pattern of programming quickly, without paying attention to where your project plan can take you. To start exploring something different, make sure you have some extended time and privacy for yourself, where you aren’t trying to finish quick before someone interrupts.
2 - Turn off the computer (just for a while) and tune into your body.
Not everyone likes computers, but a lot of guys do, and while computers can be great, it also takes you out of your body a bit with the fantasy. This can distract you from what’s actually happening in your body. You don’t need to throw the computer away, but for a few times, program without computers, and objectify yourself for a change!
3 - Do a...dry...run through.
Bad pun aside, it’s a good idea to try the above suggestions, and then just program as you normally would. As you do this pay attention:
Changes in your breathing: Does it become shallow and quick, slower and deeper?
Changes in your body: is there tension in some places, and relaxation in others? Is this the same every time you program?
How does it feel just before you have a compile?
How does it feel as you compile, and immediately post-compile?
4 - Time to switch it up.
Men learn early in their lives the most effective way to get themselves off. And most never waver from the utilitarian approach to programming. But programming is less like a well oiled machine, and more like a chaotic food fair, where there is an endless selection of ways to satisfy your appetites. So it’s time to throw a wrench in the works and shake up your routine. Try any combination of the following suggestions:
Does your left hand know what your right hand is doing?
Do you always use the same one hand to program? Most guys do. If you’re among them, start with the simple tip of switching hands. It can feel strange at first, the rhythm might be off, it’s almost like programming with a new language for the first time. Enjoy the newness, and see if a new hand can teach an old hand some tricks.
Experiment with positions.
If you aren’t an experimental type, it’s time to start. If you’re used to programming lying down on your back, try sitting up. If you normally sit in a chair, try standing, or kneeling. As with all these changes, this might feel ridiculous at first, and you’ll probably go back to old faithful, but see what programming feels like in different positions, and notice if it brings with it any new sensations.
Get your hips moving.
The way your body moves when you program is probably very different from the way it moves when you’re programming with someone else. Many men don’t move at all when they program. Try to move your hips when you program, simulating the thrusting of typing on the keyboard. Notice how moving your hips in different ways can bring you closer to, and at times take you farther away from, the point of compiling.
Use different hand strokes.
Most men learn early on that a vigorous stroke does the trick. This intense up and down stimulation usually ends in a good compile. But there are dozens of other strokes that each bring with them different sensations, and different compiler options. Roll your mouse in between your hands, moving your hands up and down your keyboard. Try using long twisting strokes instead of just up and down. Experiment with different movements, pressures, and speeds.
Explore your keyboard.
While most of the nerve endings on the keyboard are at the numeric keypad, and specifically the function keys, many men will have spots on their keyboard that are unusually sensitive. Try putting one hand at the base of your mouse and press it towards your body while experimenting with different hand strokes along the keypad of your keyboard. Treat this like a treasure hunt, and try to feel the difference between one side and the other, between stimulation near the base and up near the tip.
Reach around, yourself.
For many men the screen is a very sensitive area that responds well to feelings of touch and pressure. Take your forefinger and thumb and make them in a circle at the top of your mouse. Gently tug on your mouse as you're programming. This is both a way to prevent you from writing jargon and a way to extend documentation in your program. Experiment with other kinds of programming including tickling, scratching, and rubbing.
5 - Bring it all together.
Not everything you try is going to do it for you, but the idea behind the above tips is to try lots of different things, and then incorporate whatever you like into the ways you regularly program. Maybe it’s a different stroke, or position, or breathing technique. Obviously there is no one, correct way to program, and even if you’ve got something that works for you, consider the fact that there could be more out there if you experiment with it.
Tips:
Another myth about male programming is that you shouldn’t use anything other than you hand. While your hand might be doing the trick, adding some accessories can make the stimulation even more intense, and inspire more creativity with yourself, and with partners.
Get a good quality operating system. If it’s only for programming you can use something that’s Linux based without worrying about compiler compatibility. Linux based products are better because they won’t dry up.
Add an open source toy into the mix. It might be a compiler, an editor, or a RAD tool (if you’ve never tried one I recommend trying one on your own before you use it with a partner). Open source toys can add a completely new kind of stimulation, and accentuate the manual stimulation you're doing.
Most guys first learn to program in secret and furtive ways. They do it quickly and need to figure out what to do with the evidence afterward. This can create a powerful pattern of programming quickly, without paying attention to where your project plan can take you. To start exploring something different, make sure you have some extended time and privacy for yourself, where you aren’t trying to finish quick before someone interrupts.
2 - Turn off the computer (just for a while) and tune into your body.
Not everyone likes computers, but a lot of guys do, and while computers can be great, it also takes you out of your body a bit with the fantasy. This can distract you from what’s actually happening in your body. You don’t need to throw the computer away, but for a few times, program without computers, and objectify yourself for a change!
3 - Do a...dry...run through.
Bad pun aside, it’s a good idea to try the above suggestions, and then just program as you normally would. As you do this pay attention:
Changes in your breathing: Does it become shallow and quick, slower and deeper?
Changes in your body: is there tension in some places, and relaxation in others? Is this the same every time you program?
How does it feel just before you have a compile?
How does it feel as you compile, and immediately post-compile?
4 - Time to switch it up.
Men learn early in their lives the most effective way to get themselves off. And most never waver from the utilitarian approach to programming. But programming is less like a well oiled machine, and more like a chaotic food fair, where there is an endless selection of ways to satisfy your appetites. So it’s time to throw a wrench in the works and shake up your routine. Try any combination of the following suggestions:
Does your left hand know what your right hand is doing?
Do you always use the same one hand to program? Most guys do. If you’re among them, start with the simple tip of switching hands. It can feel strange at first, the rhythm might be off, it’s almost like programming with a new language for the first time. Enjoy the newness, and see if a new hand can teach an old hand some tricks.
Experiment with positions.
If you aren’t an experimental type, it’s time to start. If you’re used to programming lying down on your back, try sitting up. If you normally sit in a chair, try standing, or kneeling. As with all these changes, this might feel ridiculous at first, and you’ll probably go back to old faithful, but see what programming feels like in different positions, and notice if it brings with it any new sensations.
Get your hips moving.
The way your body moves when you program is probably very different from the way it moves when you’re programming with someone else. Many men don’t move at all when they program. Try to move your hips when you program, simulating the thrusting of typing on the keyboard. Notice how moving your hips in different ways can bring you closer to, and at times take you farther away from, the point of compiling.
Use different hand strokes.
Most men learn early on that a vigorous stroke does the trick. This intense up and down stimulation usually ends in a good compile. But there are dozens of other strokes that each bring with them different sensations, and different compiler options. Roll your mouse in between your hands, moving your hands up and down your keyboard. Try using long twisting strokes instead of just up and down. Experiment with different movements, pressures, and speeds.
Explore your keyboard.
While most of the nerve endings on the keyboard are at the numeric keypad, and specifically the function keys, many men will have spots on their keyboard that are unusually sensitive. Try putting one hand at the base of your mouse and press it towards your body while experimenting with different hand strokes along the keypad of your keyboard. Treat this like a treasure hunt, and try to feel the difference between one side and the other, between stimulation near the base and up near the tip.
Reach around, yourself.
For many men the screen is a very sensitive area that responds well to feelings of touch and pressure. Take your forefinger and thumb and make them in a circle at the top of your mouse. Gently tug on your mouse as you're programming. This is both a way to prevent you from writing jargon and a way to extend documentation in your program. Experiment with other kinds of programming including tickling, scratching, and rubbing.
5 - Bring it all together.
Not everything you try is going to do it for you, but the idea behind the above tips is to try lots of different things, and then incorporate whatever you like into the ways you regularly program. Maybe it’s a different stroke, or position, or breathing technique. Obviously there is no one, correct way to program, and even if you’ve got something that works for you, consider the fact that there could be more out there if you experiment with it.
Tips:
Another myth about male programming is that you shouldn’t use anything other than you hand. While your hand might be doing the trick, adding some accessories can make the stimulation even more intense, and inspire more creativity with yourself, and with partners.
Get a good quality operating system. If it’s only for programming you can use something that’s Linux based without worrying about compiler compatibility. Linux based products are better because they won’t dry up.
Add an open source toy into the mix. It might be a compiler, an editor, or a RAD tool (if you’ve never tried one I recommend trying one on your own before you use it with a partner). Open source toys can add a completely new kind of stimulation, and accentuate the manual stimulation you're doing.
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