The saying is as old as time itself, "two heads are better than one" and quite often that is the case. I like to bounce ideas off other people to see what they think because what might appear to be a great idea at first glance is not really as great as it appears. Enter pair programming. I only heard about it a few months ago and I would have to say the reviews are mixed. The people who love it, really love it and the people who don't, just don't.
When presented with the question, do you like pair programming, I have to be honest and say it depends. It depends on a variety of factors. To be honest sometimes I need to pair program because I need the extra brain power. Also, most of the time when I pair program it is pretty fun and I like getting to know others and it is fascinating to see how their mind works. Last but not least, I learn a lot about how to approach and solve problems when I pair program.
With all that said, it still depends. It depends on what mood I'm in or how sharp my mind is that day. Or, for whatever reason there are days when I just want to work alone for and try to solve problems on my own. Even when I do pair program, I want to understand the issue at hand as much as possible in order to contribute to the conversation. And, to be completely transparent, it depends on who I am working with. I think sometimes the chemistry is not quite right and you have trouble problem solving and/or communicating with the person you are paired up with. Not because anyone has done anything wrong but because it just doesn't seem to work. Surely you know what I mean.
So, in conclusion if I were asked this question, would you always want to pair program, the answer for me is no, not always. In addition to the other things I have mentioned, I feel that pair program sharpens completely different skills than working alone. Mine may not be the majority opinion but hopefully I have presented some things to thoughtfully consider
Comments