Comments on: Pair Programming: It’s not about equal keyboard time

By: TDD: Call your shots at Mark Needham

TDD: Call your shots at Mark Needham — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:39:46 +0000

[...] written previously about the value of commentating when pair programming and calling your shots is a really easy way of keeping the conversation flowing in a [...]

By: Liz Douglass

Liz Douglass — Sun, 24 May 2009 20:39:06 +0000

I believe that there are actually two types of experience level differences that can exist within a pair:
1. Development experience/skill
2. Experience with the code base that you are working in

I’ve found that both can have an impact on how much I am able to contribute (regardless of whether I am a driver or navigator). One of the best ways that I’ve found to help bridge the experience divide is to have a 5 minute chat at the beginning of the pairing slot, focusing on things like:
- The work that has already been done in trying to implement the solution
- What the implementation options were/are and whether a path forward has been chosen
- How similar/related stories/tasks have been implemented in the code base
- What exactly an XYZWidget is and why/how it gets created by a FooBar

A 5 minute chat accompanied sometimes with a quick whiteboard sketch can mean the difference between thinking to yourself ‘what are we doing here?’ and ‘so then we just need to do X and then Y….’

By: TDD: Making the test green quickly at Mark Needham

TDD: Making the test green quickly at Mark Needham — Sun, 24 May 2009 13:45:59 +0000

[...] I pointed out some things that I disagreed with in Nick’s post about pair programming one thing that I really liked in that post was that he [...]

By: Dahlia Bock

Dahlia Bock — Sun, 24 May 2009 06:47:33 +0000

Jeff! That’s exactly what I’ve been saying/thinking for the past year, being agile is doing what *works*! Finally, someone understands!

By: Jeff Doolittle

Jeff Doolittle — Sat, 23 May 2009 19:31:52 +0000

Great points, Mark. I often get the feeling that many people who want to practice XP and Agile are looking for formulaic answers and rigid practices for how things should be done. This is precisely not Agile! The whole point is to do what works, not what is “fair” or “equal”.

I also appreciate your point regarding the idea of “passivity” on the part of the person who is not at the keyboard. I find myself equally engaged in both driver and navigator roles. Each are productive in their own way.

By: Nick Carroll » Blog Archive » The Navigator role must have been coined by a keyboard hogger

Sat, 23 May 2009 11:50:19 +0000

[...] Comments Pair Programming: It’s not about equal keyboard time at Mark Needham on Is your Pair hogging the keyboard?Robert on Is your Pair hogging the keyboard?Nick Carroll [...]