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Time for some heresy... I just do not understand the obsession with whiteboards that seems to be almost a requirement among programmers and software engineers.

Time for some heresy... I just do not understand the obsession with whiteboards that seems to be almost a requirement among programmers and software engineers. I've probably used a whiteboard by choice two or three times in the last ten years. They are terrible; I'd much rather scrawl on a regular sheet of paper, if it's throw-away stuff, or fire up Visio if it's something worth keeping.

eponeponepon 9y ago
My working assumption is that it makes a certain type of person feel like they're doing Real Academic Stuff, and not just showing off that they can remember syntax without an IDE highlighting their screwups. (full disclosure: I cannot remember syntax without an IDE highlighting my screwups)
- __s 9y ago
  I'm at a workplace where 5 of our walls have been coated into being white boards. We also have a couple of whiteboards on wheels. We don't write code on whiteboards. Instead, we tend to write: data diagrams, UI mock up discussions, project planning, month end acknowledgements, scrum board notes / grids, brain storming (often in meetings), retro columns of good/bad/ugly, announcements to the office like new wifi password or when people are away Recently we started a new project. I worked out a database schema around the concept of an Entity Component System. You have an Entity table with a primary id column & nothing else, & no other table has a primary key. I scribbled out some tables manually & was able to demonstrate the flexibility this enables to the team
- Fomite 9y ago
  Does this mean I get an exemption for loving whiteboards because I am doing Real Academic Stuff (tm)?
nearmuse 9y ago
Paper creates mess when you write on it (barring stuff out and erasing pencil are both messy) and afterwards (pile it or throw away, arguably more mess than used markers).
eXpl0it3r 9y ago
Maybe your working environment is different than the ones for many other people. In my experience whiteboards are a huge help when you're brainstorming as a team or you need to communicate an idea or concept to a team. You can't use a sheet of paper when 5-10 people have to look at it and Visio won't make you as flexible in adapting on the fly. I do however think that as pure software developer you may not make as much use of whiteboards, since you just need the specs and docs to get going, while a requirement engineer or just some more business oriented developer will nearly be forced at one point to draw some ideas or concepts for more than just one peer.

eponeponepon 9y ago

My working assumption is that it makes a certain type of person feel like they're doing Real Academic Stuff, and not just showing off that they can remember syntax without an IDE highlighting their screwups. (full disclosure: I cannot remember syntax without an IDE highlighting my screwups)

__s 9y ago
I'm at a workplace where 5 of our walls have been coated into being white boards. We also have a couple of whiteboards on wheels. We don't write code on whiteboards. Instead, we tend to write: data diagrams, UI mock up discussions, project planning, month end acknowledgements, scrum board notes / grids, brain storming (often in meetings), retro columns of good/bad/ugly, announcements to the office like new wifi password or when people are away Recently we started a new project. I worked out a database schema around the concept of an Entity Component System. You have an Entity table with a primary id column & nothing else, & no other table has a primary key. I scribbled out some tables manually & was able to demonstrate the flexibility this enables to the team
Fomite 9y ago
Does this mean I get an exemption for loving whiteboards because I am doing Real Academic Stuff (tm)?

nearmuse 9y ago

Paper creates mess when you write on it (barring stuff out and erasing pencil are both messy) and afterwards (pile it or throw away, arguably more mess than used markers).

eXpl0it3r 9y ago

Maybe your working environment is different than the ones for many other people. In my experience whiteboards are a huge help when you're brainstorming as a team or you need to communicate an idea or concept to a team. You can't use a sheet of paper when 5-10 people have to look at it and Visio won't make you as flexible in adapting on the fly. I do however think that as pure software developer you may not make as much use of whiteboards, since you just need the specs and docs to get going, while a requirement engineer or just some more business oriented developer will nearly be forced at one point to draw some ideas or concepts for more than just one peer.