4 ms·

I also left a job due to pair programming. That company pair programmed 100% of the time. It concerns me that might become a norm. I wrote a blog post on why I

by city41 10y ago

I also left a job due to pair programming. That company pair programmed 100% of the time. It concerns me that might become a norm. I wrote a blog post on why I think that's a bad idea: http://www.mattgreer.org/articles/pair-programming-is-not-a-panacea/ http://www.mattgreer.org/articles/pair-programming-is-not-a-...

dasmoth 10y ago
Thanks for writing this. I particularly like the suggested desk arrangement -- although I'm not sure I can see it catching on given that pairing is often coupled with long tables in open-plan offices. Once upon a time, I thought programming was an introvert-friendly career. That seems to be changing fast.
- ape4 10y ago
  I guess they want to get rid of the deep-thinking reflective introverts.
  - nikanj 10y ago
    Their idea of a great hacker comes from movies such as Swordfish
  - HarryHirsch 10y ago
    You ask yourself if Agile, pair programming, open plan office and all the other fads of the day may have to do with the economic environment. Back in the day, when the economy wasn't excessively financialized, a company had to develop a product and compete successfully in the market. So management did what it took and treated its developers well. But nowadays, it's all about raising yet another round of funding and selling to an investor, consequently, management subscribes to every idiotic management fad in fashion because that's what investors look out for and what helps the company to stick around for yet a year more. No product development required.
billmalarky 10y ago
>It concerns me that might become a norm. I wouldn't worry too much about this. Most companies see pair programming as paying 2X for the same amount of programming output.
s_kilk 10y ago
I wonder if these kinds of teams are lead by extroverts, who appreciate having a captive audience for their peopley, extroverted shenaniagns. Having a stable of people who are contractually obligated to put up with their outgoing personalities.
- crmd 10y ago
  It's not nice to belittle individuals whose brains work differently than your own.
  - brokenmachine 10y ago
    That's true, but the problem is that those outgoing types interfere with the introverts brains from working when they interrupt them constantly. I would like more segregation! Enjoy your riotous atmosphere over there (far away) please!
- ewjordan 10y ago
  I've mostly seen it pushed (as a hard 100% policy, at least) by well meaning but naive people that have done it a few times before, got obsessed with it, and decided it's this week's cure for everything. The reality is, it will make the team produce fewer bugs. It will also help in knowledge sharing, and in some cases result in tidier designs. But you'll basically have half the manpower. So unless you actually have serious problems with bugs, knowledge sharing, or code design, it's not going to be worth it. There are other ways to achieve quality, and most senior people can do that very well without someone pairing with them.
pyb 10y ago
Pair programming is great, but that can only happen between willing and compatible participants. As you say, it should never be imposed from 'above' to any arbitrary pair of colleagues!
- JoeAltmaier 10y ago
  Agreed. I 'pair program' with my consulting partner. That is, we sit in the same lab and do our own thing, coming up for air to discuss an approach or algorithm, or even to review code. But 99% of the time is spent at our own tasks. This kind of 'pair programming' works best for us.
  - trevyn 10y ago
    That sounds like a nice, collaborative work environment, but I would not file it under any definition of "pair programming". Edit: 99%? So you spend less than five minutes collaborating per 8-hour workday?
    - wott 10y ago
      > 99%? So you spend less than five minutes collaborating per 8-hour workday? It sounds reasonable: 0 minute on a day, 10 mn on the next one. You can double it because the "99%" figure was dropped randomly, but that seems fair.
zeveb 10y ago
Now that's a great article — so good I think that it should stand on its own. Submitted as https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12291080 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12291080

by city41 10y ago

dasmoth 10y ago

Thanks for writing this. I particularly like the suggested desk arrangement -- although I'm not sure I can see it catching on given that pairing is often coupled with long tables in open-plan offices. Once upon a time, I thought programming was an introvert-friendly career. That seems to be changing fast.

ape4 10y ago
I guess they want to get rid of the deep-thinking reflective introverts.
- nikanj 10y ago
  Their idea of a great hacker comes from movies such as Swordfish
- HarryHirsch 10y ago
  You ask yourself if Agile, pair programming, open plan office and all the other fads of the day may have to do with the economic environment. Back in the day, when the economy wasn't excessively financialized, a company had to develop a product and compete successfully in the market. So management did what it took and treated its developers well. But nowadays, it's all about raising yet another round of funding and selling to an investor, consequently, management subscribes to every idiotic management fad in fashion because that's what investors look out for and what helps the company to stick around for yet a year more. No product development required.

billmalarky 10y ago

>It concerns me that might become a norm. I wouldn't worry too much about this. Most companies see pair programming as paying 2X for the same amount of programming output.

s_kilk 10y ago

I wonder if these kinds of teams are lead by extroverts, who appreciate having a captive audience for their peopley, extroverted shenaniagns. Having a stable of people who are contractually obligated to put up with their outgoing personalities.

crmd 10y ago
It's not nice to belittle individuals whose brains work differently than your own.
- brokenmachine 10y ago
  That's true, but the problem is that those outgoing types interfere with the introverts brains from working when they interrupt them constantly. I would like more segregation! Enjoy your riotous atmosphere over there (far away) please!
ewjordan 10y ago
I've mostly seen it pushed (as a hard 100% policy, at least) by well meaning but naive people that have done it a few times before, got obsessed with it, and decided it's this week's cure for everything. The reality is, it will make the team produce fewer bugs. It will also help in knowledge sharing, and in some cases result in tidier designs. But you'll basically have half the manpower. So unless you actually have serious problems with bugs, knowledge sharing, or code design, it's not going to be worth it. There are other ways to achieve quality, and most senior people can do that very well without someone pairing with them.

pyb 10y ago

Pair programming is great, but that can only happen between willing and compatible participants. As you say, it should never be imposed from 'above' to any arbitrary pair of colleagues!

JoeAltmaier 10y ago
Agreed. I 'pair program' with my consulting partner. That is, we sit in the same lab and do our own thing, coming up for air to discuss an approach or algorithm, or even to review code. But 99% of the time is spent at our own tasks. This kind of 'pair programming' works best for us.
- trevyn 10y ago
  That sounds like a nice, collaborative work environment, but I would not file it under any definition of "pair programming". Edit: 99%? So you spend less than five minutes collaborating per 8-hour workday?
  - wott 10y ago
    > 99%? So you spend less than five minutes collaborating per 8-hour workday? It sounds reasonable: 0 minute on a day, 10 mn on the next one. You can double it because the "99%" figure was dropped randomly, but that seems fair.

zeveb 10y ago

Now that's a great article — so good I think that it should stand on its own. Submitted as https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12291080 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12291080