I think the point is that if you don't already do this stuff for the fun of it, you're not who they're looking for. I just spent a few minutes writing out some pseudocode, and I have a slight adrenaline rush. Even if I don't submit anything, I've got to play with a neat problem.
There are sooo many interesting problems in the world, I never run out of stuff to do for fun.
If you want me to implement your spec that takes more than 15 minutes or so, then
a) you are a great non-profit for a cause I care about, or
b) you have to pay up.
But it's true, I'm not who they're looking for, and I don't want to work for reddit. I'm sure plenty of 21-year-old reddit fan(boy|girl)s will leap at the chance, and good for them.
Exactly. If I'm looking for stuff to do for the sheer hell of it, I've got loads of ideas of my own. I don't need to jump into an "oohhh please pick me, pick me!" arena to find interesting things to do.
Exactly. If you go into the business for the "fun of it", you are going to get exploited and you are going to get burned by your enthusiasm. Program to make money, make a difference to do something great, but don't do it because it's fun.
