Extreme Programming - Re: Just say no to threads [Was: Software architecture]

Author

Re: Just say no to threads [Was: Software architecture]

Debbie Craft

2004-10-31, 3:56 pm

Kevin Cline wrote:
>I've worked with a bunch of "done it before" telecom engineers,
> and mostly what that meant was that they were going to recapitulate
> the same workarounds they needed when developing for one-megahertz
> CPUs with 4MB of RAM even though they were now developing for a 500MHz
> CPUs with 1GB of RAM.

I have noticed this pattern a lot in XP. Something didn't work once so let's be
afraid of that and never do it again. It's a particular animilastic response to
your environment.

You want to replace creating a more useful response with a process designed such
that the behaviour isn't supposed to be possible. But of course the failings of
these same people will reoccur at a different level because they have not changed.

> Generally, for me, "done it before" is not a good reason to write
> code, although sometimes it can often be a good reason not to write
> code.

So for you it's always a mindless application of rules. Done it before -> do
exactly the same thing.

When you eat is it a new adventure everytime or do you apply knowledge you have
used before?

When you enter a new situation can you use your experience and adapt it to the
current context without resorting to mindlessness? That is
mindlessness in both directions: reapplication of what has been done before and
the rule based application of a process.

If i worked on the yahoo site or ebay and had been successful, when i go to a
new situation i am just supposed to start all over again like a know nothing?
Seems like an enormous waste to me. Dealing with scale and customers etc would
have taught a lot of hard won lessons.

Ronald E Jeffries

2004-11-01, 3:56 pm

On Mon, 01 Nov 2004 10:49:04 -0500, CTips <ctips@bestweb.net> wrote:

>So are you saying that XP makes a bad team less likely to fail?

I would say that improved practices make any team less likely to fail,
even a bad team. And that -- perhaps especially with a bad team -- XP
practices can be a really good place to start.

As you are on a high-performance team, and have expressed no
particular areas where you and your team want to improve, I'd hesitate
to suggest things you'd profit from considering without a lot more
information.

Regards,

--
Ron Jeffries
www.XProgramming.com
I'm giving the best advice I have. You get to decide if it's true for you.

David Lightstone

2004-11-01, 3:56 pm

"Ronald E Jeffries" <ronjeffries@acm.org> wrote in message
news:16pco094135tlaljj7227j24h707c2eqm4@
4ax.com...
> On Mon, 01 Nov 2004 10:49:04 -0500, CTips <ctips@bestweb.net> wrote:
>
the[color=darkred]
>
> I would say that improved practices make any team less likely to fail,
> even a bad team. And that -- perhaps especially with a bad team -- XP
> practices can be a really good place to start.

Could you be more specific as to what you mean by a "bad" team? Seems that a
"bad" team, is a strawman. Do you know of any employers that claim to have a
"bad" team?

>
> As you are on a high-performance team, and have expressed no
> particular areas where you and your team want to improve, I'd hesitate
> to suggest things you'd profit from considering without a lot more
> information.
>
> Regards,
>
> --
> Ron Jeffries
> www.XProgramming.com
> I'm giving the best advice I have. You get to decide if it's true for you.

Ronald E Jeffries

2004-11-02, 8:55 pm

On 2 Nov 2004 08:32:47 -0800, danielaparker@hotmail.com (Daniel
Parker) wrote:

>Ronald E Jeffries <ronjeffries@acm.org> wrote in message news:<n14co01itdoq3pgktnau0644mbltjojvoa@4ax.com>...
>
>What is a COO, Ron?

Chief Operations Officer, the "customer" for this app. Sorry for the
confusion.

--
Ron Jeffries
www.XProgramming.com
I'm giving the best advice I have. You get to decide if it's true for you.

Ronald E Jeffries

2004-11-06, 8:56 pm

On 5 Nov 2004 23:44:47 -0800, kevin.cline@gmail.com (Kevin Cline)
wrote:

>One of my favorite Dilbert cartoons shows a consultant at a conference
>table saying something like "You would be a fool to proceed without at
>least investigating all known key facets, and creating a holistic plan
>covering all the key areas". Then Dogbert jumps on the table, shows
>the consultant a program listing and says, "Look! Actual code!" Then
>the consultant melts like the wicked witch of the east.

Gee, I missed that one. Wish I had a copy!

--
Ron Jeffries
www.XProgramming.com
I'm giving the best advice I have. You get to decide if it's true for you.

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