Turns out I can't just hang up my social skills on the way in the door
Yeah, the dev business requires social skills like any other branch, sometimes even more, since you most likely must explain what you did or why some things do not work for a non-programmer.
Do you pair sometimes, on certain projects, or more frequently?
Whenever a problem occurs in the project that requires more planning or thought.
Do you CHOOSE the person you pair with?
Yes, I choose them for their problem-solving skills and the expertise they bring.
Have you paired with someone who was lazy - or a smartass?
Yeah, the it-business is filled with large egos, you have to alpha the shit out of them so they know you won't take their crap.
Does it ever stop being fundamentally awkward sitting very close to a colleague and reading over their shoulder?
No, hopefully, you end up in a tight team where people care for each other and goes out of their way to help their colleagues. Pairing is usually a very fun and productive experience for me. :)
In your opinion, is it a good practice and one you'd seek out in a new job?
It is indeed! Pair programming gives insights you otherwise would never get. And very few people are actually good problem solvers, we tend to "know" what the problem is before we solved it, locking us into a single thought process. Another point of view is kinda refreshing.
Yeah, the dev business requires social skills like any other branch, sometimes even more, since you most likely must explain what you did or why some things do not work for a non-programmer.
Do you pair sometimes, on certain projects, or more frequently?
Whenever a problem occurs in the project that requires more planning or thought.
Do you CHOOSE the person you pair with?
Yes, I choose them for their problem-solving skills and the expertise they bring.
Have you paired with someone who was lazy - or a smartass?
Yeah, the it-business is filled with large egos, you have to alpha the shit out of them so they know you won't take their crap.
Does it ever stop being fundamentally awkward sitting very close to a colleague and reading over their shoulder?
No, hopefully, you end up in a tight team where people care for each other and goes out of their way to help their colleagues. Pairing is usually a very fun and productive experience for me. :)
In your opinion, is it a good practice and one you'd seek out in a new job?
It is indeed! Pair programming gives insights you otherwise would never get. And very few people are actually good problem solvers, we tend to "know" what the problem is before we solved it, locking us into a single thought process. Another point of view is kinda refreshing.
I'm still laughing at "alpha the shit out of them"