Many of us see work as the thing we do to allow us to do other things. Work is, by definition, where we work. But does that mean work can’t be fun? Going further, does a sense of fun and play in the workplace actually make the work we do better?

In this talk I look at examples of fun in programming and examine to what extend this benefits work. Is it just about making people happier, or can we discover more things by creating environments where play is part of work? Along the way, we’ll also look at some examples of corporate “play” and how they can often not deliver – including why 20% time might not be what you think it is.