Add pair-programming post

content/technical/2017/10/pair-programming.md

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+# Pair Programming
+
+> All code to be sent into production is created by two people working together
+> at a single computer.
+
+— <http://www.extremeprogramming.org/rules/pair.html>
+
+Recently I read [The Only Person I’ll Pair Program with is my Cat by Patrick A.
+Brown][cat-programming] and it stirred up some thoughts that got too long for a
+tweeted response. So I'm capturing my own feelings on the practice here.
+
+I don't enjoy the practice of pair programming as it is defined above. It's
+taken me a long time to be able to admit that because there is evidence that
+pair programming is faster and produces higher quality
+results,<sup>[[1]][pairprog-hannay-ist09]</sup> and that most people enjoy
+it.<sup>[[2]][XPSardinia]</sup> Going against this evidence makes me feel like
+I'm a bad programmer, or that I'm not doing my job well.
+
+For me (full-time) pairing takes the fun out of my job. It may be argued that
+I'm not employed to have fun but you can be damn sure that if spending half my
+waking hours a day in your employ I'm going to want it to be enjoyable. I'm not
+some resource that solely exists to extract maximum efficiency out of in order
+to further other people's goals. I'm a person with my own goals that is
+**expending a great deal of my life** in other people's employ so that I may
+live, and have a fun and fulfilling life.
+
+When pairing full time, or most of the time:
+
+* I get tired and drained:
+  * As a bit of an introvert, I find extended periods of pairing extremely
+    draining. I don't think introversion is really factored in when the XP
+    crew advocate for full-time pair programming.
+* I lose any chance of achieving a [flow state][flow].
+* Tools and technology are diluted to the lowest common denominator:
+  * I have invested countless hours learning, [configuring][dotfiles], and
+    mastering powerful tools like [Neovim], [zsh], and [my operating
+    system][arch-linux], which I'd like to be able to use.
+* I miss the satisfaction of working on and solving a problem myself.
+* I am generally less satisfied and enthusiastic about work.
+
+To be clear I'm not advocating for never working with a fellow developer or a
+complete lack of collaboration within your team. I'm stating that I don't like
+the practice of requiring or pressuring people to work as a pair for all or the
+bulk of their time. Also, pairing is the practice when two people of similar
+skill level work together. If there is a disparity in skill level then it's
+mentoring, which is a totally different thing.
+
+To me, "working together at a single computer", is a tool in your tool belt
+like any other that you use when it makes sense. Trying to solve a
+particularly complex problem? Work with someone on it. Been [stuck for a little
+while, enlist some help][15-minute-rule]. When the time is right for
+collaborating on a problem it is a skill like any other that can be improved
+and honed. [Ellie Meredith gave a great talk at the Melbourne Ruby meetup in
+August][aemeredith-pair-effectively] on some tips that contribute to
+effective pairing. These tips can help improve your effectiveness, and
+enjoyment when it's the right tool for the job.
+
+If you love pairing full time, great, but keep in mind that not everyone feels
+the same way. If you don't really enjoy paring full-time, rest assured you're
+not alone.  Look after yourself, hone your skills and pair when it makes sense.
+
+[cat-programming]: https://medium.com/@patrickabrown/the-only-person-ill-pair-program-with-is-my-cat-86da6fb4da3d
+
+[pairprog-hannay-ist09]: http://www.idi.ntnu.no/grupper/su/publ/ebse/R11-pairprog-hannay-ist09.pdf
+[XPSardinia]: https://collaboration.csc.ncsu.edu/laurie/Papers/XPSardinia.PDF
+[aemeredith-pair-effectively]: https://speakerdeck.com/aemeredith/two-heads-are-better-than-one
+[flow]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
+[Neovim]: https://neovim.io/
+[zsh]: http://www.zsh.org/
+[arch-linux]: https://www.archlinux.org/
+[dotfiles]: https://github.com/wezm/dotfiles
+[15-minute-rule]: https://blog.intercom.com/15-minute-rule/

content/technical/2017/10/pair-programming.yaml

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+---
+title: Pair Programming
+extra: My thoughts on full-time pair programming.
+kind: article
+section: technical
+created_at: 2017-10-21 12:05:00.000000000 +10:00
+keywords:
+- practices
+- pair
+- programming
+- psychology
+- introversion
+short_url: