Programming in the Military

How to Code for More Than 30 Minutes a Day

Programming in the military is like a one-hour hackathon.

I make Chrome extensions. Each work session is limited to just one hour.

1. Choosing a Computer (0–1 min)

Not all computers in the military internet café (called the Cyber Knowledge and Information Center, or “Ssa-ji-bang”) are the same. Avoid computers with outdated Chrome versions (around 2014). If you're lucky and a better machine with the latest Chrome is available, move on. Otherwise, try downloading Whale via Firefox or update Firefox itself if nothing else works.

2. Downloading Files (1–3 min)

I download source files from Naver Cloud. GitHub is blocked, and Google Drive isn’t accessible either. Thankfully, Naver is whitelisted. While downloading, I also check Facebook, BeCanvas, and other platforms to stay updated and prepare to communicate with teammates.

3. Start Coding (4–42 min)

I enter Chrome’s developer mode and load the downloaded source files. Then I start coding using a text editor I bring along. Since it's web development, I mainly use HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Reference sites like jQuery work well, but others like W3C or Chrome Extension API are either slow or blocked. If I need GitHub libraries, I might try proxies, but the layout often breaks. Instead, I rely on developer blogs or Stack Overflow.

4. Communication and Refreshing (2–50 min)

While coding, I also message friends, talk to my girlfriend, and share ideas. Facebook stays open. I check emails for user feedback, and monitor the extension’s store page for new reviews. Chrome Web Store is especially slow, so I click and refresh repeatedly. Eventually, I reach the login screen, but even logging in can be painfully slow—each step requires patience.

5. Uploading Files (42–49 min)

Right-click doesn't work on these computers, so I can’t zip files directly. To update, I upload the modified files to Naver Cloud, re-download them, and zip them outside of the default OS context. If I forget to change something like the manifest version, I have to repeat this whole process again.

6. Developer Dashboard (49–56 min)

Uploading to the Chrome Web Store takes time. After uploading, I have to wait for the status to change to "Success." It might take a minute—or ten. If someone’s waiting behind me, the pressure builds. The Whale Store is better in this regard; once uploaded, I just request a review. But Whale has its own issues...

7. Whale Store

Whale reviews are done by human reviewers. While Chrome updates take effect within hours, Whale shuts down reviews on Friday nights. So, if you upload on Friday evening, the update won’t go live until Monday morning. That’s a problem if you're fixing a critical bug—finish it before Friday night.

8. Canvas Updates (50–55 min)

While waiting for uploads to process, I update Canvas (a collaboration tool like BeCanvas) with logs of what I changed or added. I also take screenshots for records and add reference links when the task is lengthy.

9. Logging Out (57–60 min)

To be safe, I delete browsing history and log out. Firefox makes clearing data annoying, so I just log out. Chrome and Whale allow easier full data wipes.

10. Weekend Programming

Weekends mean late mornings for soldiers. I use this time wisely. On rainy days, even more soldiers sleep in, so I wake early, make coffee, plan my tasks, and head to the study room. After morning roll call, I go straight to coding. When others are asleep or browsing Facebook, I can sometimes code for over an hour.

If many are awake due to good weather, I code for an hour, wait, and then go again. Most wake up around 11 AM for lunch, so I can sometimes get up to 3 hours.

Sometimes the place is empty—during futsal games, variety shows like Infinite Challenge, or LoL Champions broadcasts. The more entertained the soldiers are, the more lucky time I get. It’s like a bonus round. This way, I can program for extended periods without bothering anyone. Fortunately, our unit is pretty relaxed and not too competitive, so this lifestyle is possible.