Re: Pair Programming

So said  banshee858 <[email protected]>  on  12/20/2002 --------------------

>> 
>> I don't currently see this as OT.  Quite the contrary, in fact.  
>Stefan
>> asked an important question, IMO, about an XP practice that 
>potentially
>> clashes with a business practice that's wide-spread; "flex time" we 
>call it
>> here in the U.S..  It's a very important Benefit intended to support
>> diversity in the workforce.  If a practice that's central to XP is 
>at odds
>> with it, that's not good news.  There are lots of folks who would 
>rather
>> switch employers than give up flex time.  I encourage you to 
>continue to
>> explore this to help Stefan and the rest of us understand whether 
>or not XP
>> can co-exist with this corporate practice.
>> 
>If pairing is forced to a single pair for an extended period of time, 
>then this is a real concern.  However, pair programming as envisioned 
>by XP combined with collective code ownership mixes the pairs up 
>often and any pair can change the code.  So if your "regular" pair is 
>not available, someone else can step in until he/she gets in and the 
>project can go forward.

Further to this, pairing can actually enable taking more advantage of flex time, because more people are able to do the same kind of work at the same level of quality. Over time, pairing distributes knowledge and skills among the team members, so that if Frank has to leave early today to pick up the kids from day care, the team tends not to suffer as much as they would in a one-person-to-a-cubicle environment. True, conversation helps address this issue as well; however pairing addresses it naturally *as a side effect* of its other effects.


J. B. Rainsberger,
President, Diaspar Software Services
Let's write software that people understand.
http://www.diasparsoftware.com/
telephone: +1 416 791-8603
All correspondence (c) 2002 Diaspar Software Services.
If you want to use it, just ask; don't steal.




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