A Cultural Difference?

Here's a hint: If I wanted my name linked to my code, I'd do it myself.

The problem? In the US having your name on free code samples increases your skills and adds to your CV. In the UK this costs you jobs and reduces your market value.

The idea among recruitment agents over here is that if you work for free - even if you've done it for yourself, for a charity, or as a coding challenge - then you must not be worth much. Among consultants you are valued as highly as your last role - and if that was coding for free, expect to get agents taking advantage. This is unfortunately exactly what happened to me the last time I built a set of widgets.

Since I don't really want to go through explaining again why I won't hand my code over for free/build a full infrastructure for minimum wage/work for you if you claim my copyrights outside working hours/etc., I tend to keep my professional life and hobbies seperate. (The other thing I don't want to do again is end up explaining to a Head of IT that Java is not the same as Javascript.)

I hope that answers the rather pithy comment I got about the widgets going on my CV: they won't be going anywhere near it, and I reserve the right to refuse to discuss a hobby with people who phone me about a job.