Full-time is putting it mildly. For me, it's a 24/7 venture even when I can't find something to work on. I'm not strictly IM, as I have a dozen projects working at any given moment. At some point, I became unable to tell which projects were hobbies and which are part of my daily grind. It's not exactly unusual for me to wake from a dead sleep with an idea or solution that can't wait until morning. Even during my time off, I'm wearing out the 'F5' button here at BHW. Even when I'm on vacation, I constantly have this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I should be doing something productive. It sounds like a bad thing, but in reality, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's def. something awesome to have my idea of fun line up perfectly with what I do for a living.
As for copyright claims, etc., I went white hat about five years ago after I realized that what I was working towards was indeed do-able on a professional and above board level. Now doing it the white hat way has become second nature, and the things originally holding me back, such as a quicker profit, actually come easier with planning and following 'the rules'. Everything is more black and white and it's easier to sleep at night knowing that things like appeals are easier to win if you didn't skirt the rules in the first place. It's hard to get into that mindset, but once it clicks in your head, it's less about BH vs WH, and more about creating a solid foundation on which to build for the future. With time comes wisdom, and with wisdom comes sustainability.
