Comments on: Form follows function (unless you’ve got a knighthood) http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2006/02/07/289 All the pig that's fit to saw Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:48:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nik http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2006/02/07/289/comment-page-1#comment-1377 Nik Wed, 08 Feb 2006 19:28:16 +0000 http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2006/02/07/289#comment-1377 I realise this is controversial. Generally I'd say the idea of developers doing things that their peers are unaware of is very bad, and that means private offices are (in general) very bad. This certainly does <em>not</em> mean that developers should never be allowed to work in a quiet place. It <em>does</em> mean that "lots of people all working on different projects and with different skills" is bad position to be in. It suggests too many projects and (if everyone is a specialist in a different area) few people to seek advice from. Your multi-disciplined team scenario is ideal, even if you expect people to have different levels of expertise in different areas. Getting the product out the door is only half the problem. Keeping it maintained is the other half. And that's when you need a good spread of knowledge. I realise this is controversial. Generally I’d say the idea of developers doing things that their peers are unaware of is very bad, and that means private offices are (in general) very bad. This certainly does not mean that developers should never be allowed to work in a quiet place. It does mean that “lots of people all working on different projects and with different skills” is bad position to be in. It suggests too many projects and (if everyone is a specialist in a different area) few people to seek advice from. Your multi-disciplined team scenario is ideal, even if you expect people to have different levels of expertise in different areas.

Getting the product out the door is only half the problem. Keeping it maintained is the other half. And that’s when you need a good spread of knowledge.

]]> By: MC http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2006/02/07/289/comment-page-1#comment-1376 MC Wed, 08 Feb 2006 12:22:46 +0000 http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2006/02/07/289#comment-1376 Well, that is a <a HREF="http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?joel.3.263875.32#discussTopic264326/" rel="nofollow"> heavily</a> <a HREF="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2005/10/16.html/" rel="nofollow">debated</a> subject over on <a HREF="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000068.html/" rel="nofollow">Joel's site.</a> I expect it depends on what kind of work you are doing, if you are all working on the same project and in the same discipline or if its a multi-discipline "team". From experience, lots of people all working on different projects and with different skills don't make the best environment for the software guys... Well, that is a heavily debated subject over on Joel’s site. I expect it depends on what kind of work you are doing, if you are all working on the same project and in the same discipline or if its a multi-discipline “team”. From experience, lots of people all working on different projects and with different skills don’t make the best environment for the software guys…

]]> By: Nik http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2006/02/07/289/comment-page-1#comment-1374 Nik Wed, 08 Feb 2006 09:00:48 +0000 http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2006/02/07/289#comment-1374 Good article. I remember reading it at the time and I thought then the same as I think now: it's all terrific but I strongly disagree with requirement 1: "Private offices with doors that close were absolutely required and not open to negotiation." Or to be more specific, while it's good to have some of those for one-off uses I think it's very bad for them to be the primary home or development space of developers. For me, so much value is obtained from collaboration -- even casual overheard remarks -- that developers locked away in silence flashes big red alarm lights immediately. Good article. I remember reading it at the time and I thought then the same as I think now: it’s all terrific but I strongly disagree with requirement 1: “Private offices with doors that close were absolutely required and not open to negotiation.”

Or to be more specific, while it’s good to have some of those for one-off uses I think it’s very bad for them to be the primary home or development space of developers. For me, so much value is obtained from collaboration — even casual overheard remarks — that developers locked away in silence flashes big red alarm lights immediately.

]]> By: MC http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2006/02/07/289/comment-page-1#comment-1373 MC Tue, 07 Feb 2006 15:35:50 +0000 http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2006/02/07/289#comment-1373 Maybe this country needs a <a HREF="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/BionicOffice.html" rel="nofollow">Roy Leone</a> to do things as the customer needs them. Maybe this country needs a Roy Leone to do things as the customer needs them.

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