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I treat pair programming as another tool in my toolkit. - It can be great when starting out on a project (where I have someone to talk to about patterns for th
by jmcgough 10y ago
I treat pair programming as another tool in my toolkit.
- It can be great when starting out on a project (where I have someone to talk to about patterns for the code and bounce ideas off of).
- I also like it as a means of quickly introducing someone to
an area of the codebase that they're not familiar with.
- Some days my ADHD is way out of whack. I've found that pairing ping-pong style (I write the test, they make it pass, they write the test, I make it pass) can help me when I'm losing focus by making it more into a game.
- Sometimes I get stuck on something, like a weird bug or a complicated problem. I'll grab a pair, and we'll think through it together. It helps a lot to grease my mental wheels.
I don't think that most people advocate pair programming for everyone at all times, but for some people, it works really well for them. If you work at a 24/7 pairing company like Pivotal Labs, they understand and appreciate that not everyone likes working that way, and they hire accordingly.
- sotojuan 10y agoI like the way you think. Unfortunately programmers like to either be really against something or treat it as dogma and the only way to do things.
- existencebox 10y agoI never understood that mentality, frankly. I see so much in common between programmers and craftsmen, and it would be hilarious for e.g. a carpenter to refuse a specialized tool because they ONLY USE PHILLIPS HEAD SCREWDRIVERS. I would think programmers take pride in having a bigger "mental toolbox." (To deflate my own point however I've seen some interesting debates in construction; e.g. plastic or copper piping for plumbing is still apparently a contentious topic?)
- gravypod 10y agoI 100% agree that programmers are craftsman, I'd go so far as to say we are a trade/profession and not a "science." Despite this, unlike many other professions programmers show a trait very different to other professionals. We have huge ass egos. We think we are right all the time and there is no compromise.
- mod 10y agoI don't find that much different from the other trades I'm somewhat familiar with, except that in those trades they ARE right. As in, there's often one way that's the best way.
- koonsolo 10y agoI see this attitude mostly in junior programmers (including myself when I was young :)). When you get older, you get to see that everything has its benefits and drawbacks.
- falcolas 10y agoI agree, but that realization tend to make your voice quieter in relevant discussions, since you can see both sides of the coin.