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Yeah it would be weird to me if programming is some unique task where two people solving a complex problem together is a bad thing. I'd not done it much in the

by IanCal 5y ago

Yeah it would be weird to me if programming is some unique task where two people solving a complex problem together is a bad thing. I'd not done it much in the past but recently seen it done more and participated more - each time it's been useful. I paired to deploy some work, and having both of us work together was really helpful as we could talk through issues we were seeing as we went and it taught me more about infra & them more about the project.

Veuxdo 5y ago
What's weird and unique about work that one person can do better than two? Novel writing is complex, chess is complex, art is complex. Individuals do these things all the time.
- IanCal 5y ago
  Chess seems like an odd addition there, would two people who are able to discuss strategy and reason about the next move be worse than one? For writing, workshopping jokes or scenes happens a lot doesn't it? Particularly with scripts. When it comes to novels and art though, there's a focus on producing one persons imagined work, edited and helped by others. When it comes to programming, particularly in a company, there's a problem to solve. Is it common in other fields of engineering to say that only one engineer can work on a problem at once? > Individuals do these things all the time. Individuals code alone all the time too. What I'm commenting on is the idea that programming together with someone is terrible.
  - Veuxdo 5y ago
    Do engineers pair CAD on e.g. bridges? Does anyone know?
- skeeter2020 5y ago
  > Novel writing is complex, chess is complex, art is complex. Well one thing you need to consider is that most software is not written in small, artisian batches but at scale. Pairing is one way to promote doing development and all the things you mention at a greater capacity than the individual.
  - Veuxdo 5y ago
    Maybe? Dividing up the work is the other, traditional, way to work at scale. It hasn't been shown that pair programming is more effective.

by IanCal 5y ago

Veuxdo 5y ago

What's weird and unique about work that one person can do better than two? Novel writing is complex, chess is complex, art is complex. Individuals do these things all the time.

IanCal 5y ago
Chess seems like an odd addition there, would two people who are able to discuss strategy and reason about the next move be worse than one? For writing, workshopping jokes or scenes happens a lot doesn't it? Particularly with scripts. When it comes to novels and art though, there's a focus on producing one persons imagined work, edited and helped by others. When it comes to programming, particularly in a company, there's a problem to solve. Is it common in other fields of engineering to say that only one engineer can work on a problem at once? > Individuals do these things all the time. Individuals code alone all the time too. What I'm commenting on is the idea that programming together with someone is terrible.
- Veuxdo 5y ago
  Do engineers pair CAD on e.g. bridges? Does anyone know?
skeeter2020 5y ago
> Novel writing is complex, chess is complex, art is complex. Well one thing you need to consider is that most software is not written in small, artisian batches but at scale. Pairing is one way to promote doing development and all the things you mention at a greater capacity than the individual.
- Veuxdo 5y ago
  Maybe? Dividing up the work is the other, traditional, way to work at scale. It hasn't been shown that pair programming is more effective.