I'm always mixed on this. In the moment it can be fun. In the end when it inevitably feels useless, idk it feels bad. Like I spent a ton of time on something and get some knowledge out of it. It doesn't make my job better and I guess doesn't improve my situation much. My rust sub-directory feels like a digital closet of rpis collecting dust.

The things I find fun writing and learning about and the tools I use to do it are so disconnected from anything i do professionally.