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I pair 100 percent of the day so 8 hours a day for the last year. It has been a very rewarding process. As a natural introvert pairing has made me a much more

by pairing 15y ago

I pair 100 percent of the day so 8 hours a day for the last year. It has been a very rewarding process. As a natural introvert pairing has made me a much more communicative person and my programming ability has significantly leveled up as well. We pair with 2 monitors, 2 keyboards, and 2 mice facing each other with our own desks which I feel gives each person in the pair enough privacy and space to make us both very comfortable. Is pairing intense? Yep. Is it worth it? Absolutely in my mind. The high quality of the code and the productivity is well worth it.

dustineichler 15y ago
I'm glad you said that, but setups like yours are the exception not the rule. Last I was there, PL has the same. I'd mostly agree too it's a rewarding experience, but it needs to do done right. If you half ass the setup, it gets frustrating quickly.
- pairing 15y ago
  Agreed. We started the project at Pivotal so that is where we got the setup, and I agree that it makes a huge difference. It's a shame more companies don't implement pairing correctly. The extra grand (less if you don't go with an apple display) for the monitor is a small price for the results you get.
  - dustineichler 15y ago
    They're known for distilling culture and values on clients. It's apart of their high value-added proposition i think. e.g. - best practices.
pmjordan 15y ago
Do the screens display the same content, and do the input devices control the same cursor? I find this 2-desk pair programming a curious arrangement.
- pairing 15y ago
  Exactly, one monitor is an iMac the other is a thunderbolt display. The display just mirrors the iMac. We each have our own keyboard and mouse which controls a single cursor. The monitors face opposite each other so we are sitting (almost) directly face to face so talking to each other is natural with minimal turning, which would occur if you sat next to each other.
  - pmjordan 15y ago
    Interesting. I have a feeling this would drive me insane in the long run. Is there a particular problem you're attacking with this arrangement? Did you try a different approach before that didn't work so well?
hollerith 15y ago
Interesting? Do you always pair with the same person? When was the last time you paired with someone other than the person you have been pairing with recently?

by pairing 15y ago

dustineichler 15y ago

I'm glad you said that, but setups like yours are the exception not the rule. Last I was there, PL has the same. I'd mostly agree too it's a rewarding experience, but it needs to do done right. If you half ass the setup, it gets frustrating quickly.

pairing 15y ago
Agreed. We started the project at Pivotal so that is where we got the setup, and I agree that it makes a huge difference. It's a shame more companies don't implement pairing correctly. The extra grand (less if you don't go with an apple display) for the monitor is a small price for the results you get.
- dustineichler 15y ago
  They're known for distilling culture and values on clients. It's apart of their high value-added proposition i think. e.g. - best practices.

pmjordan 15y ago

Do the screens display the same content, and do the input devices control the same cursor? I find this 2-desk pair programming a curious arrangement.

pairing 15y ago
Exactly, one monitor is an iMac the other is a thunderbolt display. The display just mirrors the iMac. We each have our own keyboard and mouse which controls a single cursor. The monitors face opposite each other so we are sitting (almost) directly face to face so talking to each other is natural with minimal turning, which would occur if you sat next to each other.
- pmjordan 15y ago
  Interesting. I have a feeling this would drive me insane in the long run. Is there a particular problem you're attacking with this arrangement? Did you try a different approach before that didn't work so well?

hollerith 15y ago

Interesting? Do you always pair with the same person? When was the last time you paired with someone other than the person you have been pairing with recently?