Programming games away is how I end my addictions to them. Sudoku was a big one for me. Once I have provably shown I can write a program to solve a game, I lose interest. But I still having fun. I really enjoy the design and writing of said programs.
It’s the same reason I stopped playing chess, but it only hit me later that I lost interest because of the program I wrote.
Now I just play casually if a friend wants to.
Ahh but can you beat a master without using the program?
I don't actually use the program in my stead, I just put it up against other programs in computer chess tournaments.
Okay, but why doesn't he go on these five to seven day trips with his family?
That really tripped me too and made it hard to focus on the rest is the article. I had this feeling all the way through that he's hiding things, which doesn't make much sense given the kind of content.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Sometimes and for a certain type of person it's good to have alone time.