@daverooneyca and I are doing a public AMA (ask-me-anything) on all things Agile on May 1 (next week). Bring your questions and get the perspective of two coaches who each have 25+ years of experience.
Did you know that in Extreme Programming (XP), refactoring is not just cleaning up code, but a core practice to boost agility? It's about evolving design organically, embracing change for the ultimate efficiency! #ExtremeProgramming#Refactoring#DevLife 👨💻🔄
"Responsibility cannot be assigned; it can only be accepted. If someone tries to give you responsibility, only you can decide if you are responsible or if you aren’t."
@trochee@afeinman@jk hard agree. That attitude is part of the regression in software engineering that I referred to recently.
20 yrs ago the prevailing ethos was that to do real engineering there had to be users in the room trying the software on a daily basis and making you question your assumptions. We called it #ExtremeProgramming because you couldn’t go farther as an engineer than to continuously center user value over your dreams for the algorithm.
While there are still vocal proponents of #TDD, #BDD, #ExtremeProgramming & variations, it struck me today that people getting into software development now probably don’t realize how hyped those concepts were a decade-ish ago. These days they feel more like a personal preference for some than an organizational, or even team, decision.
I’d attribute some of that to the shift towards statically types languages, but also that the developer role today feels more individualistic in general.
Every journey I recorded for my Software Developer's Journey podcast was a delight to discover. In every story, I learned something useful for myself or my career. I had good laughs in every discussion, was moved by emotional stories, and experienced inspiring moments. But sometimes, one story resonates with me more than the others. This is one of those.
I knew of Emmanuel Gaillot through his work on the Agile Open France conference and the Coding Dojo in Paris. But I finally met him through the NewCrafts Conferences in 2023. I even enjoyed introducing a profound and moving session he facilitated at the conference this year, exploring "coding as a mindfulness practice."
On the show, Emmanuel placed the start of his journey in a computer club in the 80s. He described how he learned GW-BASIC and became hooked. He told about his love for music and how his parents encouraged him to pursue "real studies." He explained how he went to the USA to study Computer Science, music, and Japanese... and became a theater composer. He discussed his first job as a programmer and being bored (and bad at it) until he discovered #eXtremeProgramming. He talked about learning #TDD, exploring what became #CodeKata, and creating a #CodingDojo. He spoke about finding psychotherapy, becoming a psychotherapist, and much more. This was a wild ride worth every minute!
I've written one #romcom#novel so far, not yet published, and a few articles on #extremeProgramming which were published. I might be a better editor than a writer.
my literary heroes include Terry Pratchett #discworld and Theodore Sturgeon