Software development models, pair programming, agile, team rooms, etc.

[David Kramer]

On 01/13/2011 09:30 AM, Mark Woodward wrote:
> A large percentage of the old timers in our industry show some symptoms 
> of Asperger's, I'm one of them, but think RMS if you like. I'm not 
> saying we *have* Asperger's, I'm just saying that many of us have some 
> degree of social ineptitude. I wonder if the "new age" methodologies and 
> processes are prejudicial in some way. I know I can't be effective or 
> productive in an intensely social environment no matter what kind of 
> training any more that a color blind person  can learn to see color. It 
> is not my personality make-up.
> 
> So, what do you do guys think?

As an agile evangelist and extrovert, I love pair programming, and most
pair programming experiences I've had have been good ones.

As a realist and an old timer, I certainly agree pair programming is not
for everyone, and maybe not even most.  Pair programming is one of the
least favorite practices.

Those that just ignore pair programming without replacing it with
something else to encourage code quality and knowledge transfer cannot
benefit as much as those that do.  It's like taking off the flat tire
and not putting the spare one on in its place.

One of the things I love about the agile group I'm on the board of
(http://www.agilebazaar.org (soon to be http://www.agilenewengland.org))
is that we are officially flavor-agnostic, and feel that different
environments require different solutions.  So I don't feel "Thou Shalt
Pair Program", but I do feel "Thou Shalt Somehow Promote Code Quality
And Knowledge Transfer".  That may be through executable requirements,
code reviews, or show-n-tells.