Large software development is not just a matter of having programmers that are "wanting to do their best job at coding and make sure it's code that will work and be maintainable for years to come". It's about having all that talent working together in an efficient and sustainable manner.
XP (and other agile methodologies) help put a framework around the uniqueness of those talents in a manner that is both tolerable by the technicians and workable for the customer/project manager.
It's a decent middle ground between letting the programmers work solely when their muse calls, and the overbearing, measure each keystroke control that the PMs want.
And best of all, it embodies the very qualities you want in a team such as trust, communication, responsibility, cooperation, and thoughfulness.
And it addresses the major factors that contribute to programmer burnout; impossible hours, impossible deadlines, and processes and procedures designed to cover some PHB's butt without consideration for the impact on the project or one's soul.
So XP isn't perfect, but it's way better than traditional programming in any number of ways.
The upward velocity is less than 1000 mph, but it's total velocity is approximately 1000 mph since my shelf (and every other item on Earth) travel about 25,000 per day as part of the planet's rotation.
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Large software development is not just a matter of having programmers that are "wanting to do their best job at coding and make sure it's code that will work and be maintainable for years to come". It's about having all that talent working together in an efficient and sustainable manner. XP (and other agile methodologies) help put a framework around the uniqueness of those talents in a manner that is both tolerable by the technicians and workable for the customer/project manager. It's a decent middle ground between letting the programmers work solely when their muse calls, and the overbearing, measure each keystroke control that the PMs want. And best of all, it embodies the very qualities you want in a team such as trust, communication, responsibility, cooperation, and thoughfulness. And it addresses the major factors that contribute to programmer burnout; impossible hours, impossible deadlines, and processes and procedures designed to cover some PHB's butt without consideration for the impact on the project or one's soul. So XP isn't perfect, but it's way better than traditional programming in any number of ways.
You Earthlings have the mental capacity of a Zarbchmig from the Marpiadfn galaxy!
My shelf came from Home Depot.