RE: Practice: Pair Programming

I wanted to address the issue of inappropriate feelings in the
workplace, and pairing provided a convenient place to put the
discussion. XP and pair programming didn't create the problem of
sexuality in the workplace. Pairing, however, can accentuate the
problem: two people, physical proximity, shared success. Unfortunately,
Prof. Williams' book ignores the issue altogether.

I agree that people could use this paragraph as an excuse to dismiss XP,
but in the past five years I've seen much more inventive ways of
dismissing XP. On balance, I think the book is more valuable to XP by
addressing the issue head on. Leaving it out won't prevent criticism and
putting it in encourages team members to improve their collective
performance by tackling the problem.

Kent Beck
Three Rivers Institute 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: William Pietri [mailto:william-JnOFOPmZhjNBDgjK7y7TUQ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 12:13 PM
> To: xpbookdiscussiongroup-hHKSG33TihhbjbujkaE4pw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [xpe2e] Practice: Pair Programming
> 
> > Working effectively together feels good. It may be a new
> experience in
> > the workplace for some. When programmers aren't emotionally mature
> > enough to separate approval from arousal, working with a
> person of the
> > opposite gender can bring up sexual feelings that are not
> in the best
> > interest of the team.
> 
> When I read this in the preprint, I wondered if this paragraph really
> belonged in here. This strikes me as a potential problem in any team 
> situation, and it seems odd to me to suggest that Pair Programming is 
> particularly riskier than any other team activity. My fear is not only

> that people will get the wrong idea about XP, but also people with a 
> bias against XP will use this paragraph to fight against an XP 
> adoption.
> 
> 
> > If you are uncomfortable pairing with someone on the team,
> talk about
> > it with someone safe; a respected team member, a manager,
> or someone
> > in human resources. If you aren't comfortable, the team
> isn't doing as
> > well as it could. And chances are others are uncomfortable too.
> 
> I'd also add that it's worth talking with the team member with whom
> one is uncomfortable.



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