tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3081442684129016822.post4232857276718034795..comments2024-03-02T14:14:58.495-08:00Comments on Manuel Klimek: XP - Cult or Movement?klimekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04044731490885944160noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3081442684129016822.post-51739226546344391022007-02-26T18:19:22.000-08:002007-02-26T18:19:22.000-08:00Oh, I don't know, I've been in the industr...Oh, I don't know, I've been in the industry longer than XP's been around too (since '91) and I know lots of developers who work for lots of different companies, and most of them don't work in an XP shop, including me, but several do.<br><br>If something strikes me as an obviously bad idea, but other people think it's a good idea, I try to find out why. I'm curious, and I have a healthy level of self-doubt and skepticism. For what it's worth, the XP projects I personally know about have all been successes, at least one of them spectacularly so, in particular because they succeeded after two other non-XP teams failed. (Appropriate skepticism: it could have been just because it was a better team of developers.)<br><br>So who says a cult can't deliver good software? Being in a cult would be really annoying, I think, but at the end of the day I just want to deliver good software. If it's a cargo cult, of course, that's a different story. You have to be careful about that.<br><br>I'm reminded of the grizzled veteran mainframe programmer who told me in '92 that OO was just a fad, and the whole thing was going to blow over in a few years. Every fad generates its naysayers, and zealots, books, conferences, hype... But similarly, every fad has some kernel of truth. I see it as my job as a professional to get to the bottom of it, to cut through the hype, not to fall for it hook, line, and sinker, or to make the equal and opposite mistake and dismiss it out of hand.L.E.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3081442684129016822.post-29187166083397112762007-02-27T08:25:50.000-08:002007-02-27T08:25:50.000-08:00Quoted from above comment: "For what it’s w...Quoted from above comment: "For what it’s worth, the XP projects I personally know about have all been successes, at least one of them spectacularly so, in particular because they succeeded after two other non-XP teams failed. (Appropriate skepticism: it could have been just because it was a better team of developers.)"<br><br>So... better teams of developers prefer to use XP? Hmm, interesting. :)<br><br>I'm only half-kidding here. Most of the very good developers I know aren't very big on labels, and don't generally call what they do XP (I personally don't like the "Extreme" label, and pick and choose which practices to apply based on my current context), but they will freely admit they use a lot of the XP practices, and get a lot of value from them. I sincerely believe one of the biggest benefits of running a project in an agile way is that it's a great way to attract a bunch of great developers. Just do your best to filter out the bandwagon-jumpers and buzzword-compliant drones.Ryan Cooperhttp://www.onagile.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3081442684129016822.post-56170932566639999402007-02-27T18:25:17.000-08:002007-02-27T18:25:17.000-08:00OK. I don't actually recall hearing any of the...OK. I don't actually recall hearing any of them call it "XP". But I know they pair programmed in an open workspace, had 1-week iterations, close contact with a customer, and when I was brought in on a contract for a different project, I saw their iteration velocity table on a whiteboard in their room, covering about a year of development. I didn't see any index cards.<br><br>Anyway, I agree. Good developers are not big on labels. Especially "extreme", which is a terrible misnomer. I also believe that it usually works out better to attract developers with agility than impose agility on an existing set of developers who may or may not be interested.L.E.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3081442684129016822.post-12663858767522440492007-02-28T00:42:20.000-08:002007-02-28T00:42:20.000-08:00XML-LMX,you compare XP to "crossing railroad ...XML-LMX,<br><br>you compare XP to "crossing railroad tracks in front of an oncoming train". I can argument that this is a bad idea, because the train will hit you and the force will probably kill you in one way or the other.<br><br>If you think of XP, what is the equivalent to the "hitting experience"? I'd be interested, because at the moment I'm trying to cross the railroad tracks ;-)<br><br>L.E.,<br>I agree that the name "Extreme" is probably a bad choice from today's perspective. I was repulsed by it at first, too. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea in the last century?klimekhttp://klimek.box4.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3081442684129016822.post-11558244465523979672010-04-29T05:31:57.000-07:002010-04-29T05:31:57.000-07:00Extremme Programming is just good enough for f*cki...Extremme Programming is just good enough for f*ckin' people without any life, family or friends.<br>F*ckin' boring thing, should not exist at all.Freezenoreply@blogger.com