A few years ago I wrote a Python script that took a TSV tile as input and randomly selected a secret Santa matchup that wouldn’t put partners together and then email them their matches with a backup to a file so nobody would know the matches. I could find out, but didn’t have to know the list to get everyone set up.
It’s been a ton of fun improving on that year over year, and it was a great learning experience.
It definitely doesn’t have to be a serious endeavour.
That said, initiating an open source library that fills a previously unfilled need is also a great learning experience. Plus, other people get to see and critique your code in public—it makes you give some things a second thought.
A few years ago I wrote a Python script that took a TSV tile as input and randomly selected a secret Santa matchup that wouldn’t put partners together and then email them their matches with a backup to a file so nobody would know the matches. I could find out, but didn’t have to know the list to get everyone set up.
It’s been a ton of fun improving on that year over year, and it was a great learning experience.
It definitely doesn’t have to be a serious endeavour.
That said, initiating an open source library that fills a previously unfilled need is also a great learning experience. Plus, other people get to see and critique your code in public—it makes you give some things a second thought.
And yes, also in both cases I agree: relax.