Author here. This is a nine-year account of building Rune, a new IDE for Go (Python and Rust are next). It started when my Vim's go-to-definition broke in 2017 and I decided to build my own editor rather than adopt an IDE. Happy to answer questions.
Great article! I had deep, long-lasting obsessions with games growing up until I discovered programming. For me, it's not so much about the challenge anymore; it's about building stuff. Once I discovered programming, games felt like very small and limiting sandboxes. If I played a game for 10 hours a day, I would not be able to convince myself that it's okay for me and those around me. However, since programming is lucrative and comes with a pat in the back, I struggle to find a good work-life balance still to this day.
Spaniard living in the US here. I grew up in apartment complexes and don’t ever remember worrying about noise. I think there’s definitely a component of just being used to it. Agree with your point on construction materials in the US, in relation to noise levels: the only time in my life that I was bothered by my loud neighbors was when I lived in a multi-family home unit in San Mateo, CA. It was a 4-unit home and I could literally hear all my neighbors whereabouts 24/7.