Subj : Re: extreme programming (thoughts)
To   : comp.programming
From : Phlip
Date : Fri Jul 22 2005 01:32 am

matt wrote:

> > was gonna whomp you again for blaming cheap labor, but...
>
> blaming in what capacity, philip? i have only said that  a) jobs get
> outsourced, b) cheaper labor is more attractive to business. nothing
> controversal there.

Off-shoring is rarely cost-effective. What's controversial is executives who
fire locals, hire cheap labor, and hide the losses and overhead so they can
claim a profit.

> i am suggesting tho, the possibility that xp's paired-programming may
> be better suited for offshored (even while inhouse) labor projects. we
> have those at my company. www.wipro.com.

XP is about making the most of a lean, colocated team. It's not about
"throwing coders at the problem", which is the deal most "off-shore" shops
tempt you with.

Off-shore, the latency between your business side requesting features and
the coders supplying features is much higher. The turnaround is longer.

Pair programming is a great way to minimize that latency, which is why its
more efficient and cost-effective. It's a way to get the best value for your
coders, not a way to waste their days.

XP is about ensuring the time between business requesting a feature and the
coders delivering it is as short as possible. I suspect that's another
metric your team is failing.

-- 
  Phlip
  http://www.c2.com/cgi/wiki?ZeekLand

.