I really dislike pair programming intensely. The physical setup makes me nervous. What I dislike even more is ‘mob programming’ aka swarming. I find the typical experience just ‘instructed chaos’.
But perhaps what is most surprising, this post isn’t clickbait or a bad attempt to create polarisation. I support pair programming and swarming with enthusiasm, and I even agree with claims as to their effectiveness. I believe these practices are valid and I don’t wish to take that away from anyone.
But equally, they are just not for me.
Several heated debates recently have helped me understand that it’s okay to have a strong preference and stick by it. The same goes for other people. Mine and theirs don’t need to be the same. I enjoy solo coding but within a team that interacts around the act of coding, be that Slack, standups, PR code reviews, or water cooler moments.
Some teams would not take me, because my understanding of ‘collaboration’ is not their thing, and that’s fine. I’m certainly not here to argue against anyone else’s experience of pair programming, the opposite in fact. With an open mind, perhaps all I’m waiting for is some good mentoring one day.
Either way, you be you, I be me, and let’s keep talking about all things software development. UK state schools break up today, I wish everyone here the very best of summer ⛱, and a big thanks for all the interesting, enriching interactions we’ve had along the way.