Programmer Anarchy

[NotAllThere]

Let me get his straight, a room full of autistic developer types let loose on the business, should have a better outcome than in a properly managed environment?

I can't really say. I've never seen or heard of a "properly managed environment" in 25 years of working in the IT industry. If you used the 10% of socially high-functioning developers, then I think it's a distinct possibility. All that management crap is just so dumbo-know nothings can gain a sense of achievement and a feeling of being in control. None of it is really necessary.

I think one of my current clients runs the anarchy model. I get requirements from various people and fulfil them. I don't get told how to do it, I don't have to do updates every week on progress. I just produce the goods and tell 'em they're available for testing. I manage the priorities. I don't even have to do much documentation (except on the rare occasions I have to do something on one of the validated systems). All at top rate as well. I've been working for this client for 8 years, so either they're very gullible, or I'm doing something right. It's amazing how quickly things get done when you don't have to follow bureaucracy.

[suityou01]

You are like a ground in stain NAT. Easier to put a pot plant over it than replace the whole rug.

[aussielong]

If you get three high performance developers (I mean by that, those that can do 2 full time jobs at the same time) and a tester, you can get a lot done. Seperate people for the rest of the roles are not necessary- top end devs can rotate through those roles as necessary, because they are tasks (not careers).

I've been part of this myself and it works. But it doesn't scale because there are not enough quality people out there. Hence the need for controls, to manage the talentless dead wood like assguru.

[mudskipper]

Sounds quite like the model we operate at clientCo. Suits me fine

[Damon]

If you get three high performance developers (I mean by that, those that can do 2 full time jobs at the same time) and a tester, you can get a lot done. Seperate people for the rest of the roles are not necessary- top end devs can rotate through those roles as necessary, because they are tasks (not careers).

I've been part of this myself and it works. But it doesn't scale because there are not enough quality people out there. Hence the need for controls, to manage the talentless dead wood like assguru.

I could see that working if you could get a collective of people giving clear direction on what was needed and you were implementing in a simple environment.

[aussielong]

I could see that working if you could get a collective of people giving clear direction on what was needed and you were implementing in a simple environment.

You think PMs, BAs and architects add much value in complex environments??? They add confusion and overheads.

Part of the game is simplifying your environment to reduce complexity.

I've often felt I've delivered DESPITE these people.

I buy them "bluffers guide to xyz" and bung it in the Secret Santa.

[eek]

I could see that working if you could get a collective of people giving clear direction on what was needed and you were implementing in a simple environment.

I find that the more people you add the more chinese whispers confuse what is supposedly being delivered...

[SueEllen]

You think PMs, BAs and architects add much value in complex environments??? They add confusion and overheads.

Part of the game is simplifying your environment to reduce complexity.

I've often felt I've delivered DESPITE these people.

I buy them "bluffers guide to xyz" and bung it in the Secret Santa.

Whatever.

[bobspud]

Programmer Anarchy

You think PMs, BAs and architects add much value in complex environments??? They add confusion and overheads.

Part of the game is simplifying your environment to reduce complexity.

I've often felt I've delivered DESPITE these people.

I buy them "bluffers guide to xyz" and bung it in the Secret Santa.

That's quite funny. we see the fact that you delivered as the root cause of our problem...

I have just started working for a financial company, they have spent the last 3 or so years trying to write the next big epoch in banking...

The first words out of the team in questions mouths was oh we don't do documentation we are running agile...

So agile they don't know how many severs they have and no real clue of the systems that they touch on....

Today I'm having a conversation to let the IT security team explain why they can't remount a db feed that has to be read only as a writable object.

The idea that you don't modify read only views that are key to several other application does not seem to tally with their way of thinking because they can do it on their laptop sandbox...

Architects are paid a fortune to protect systems and services from idiots like that....

[aussielong]

That's quite funny. we see the fact that you delivered as the root cause of our problem...

I have just started working for a financial company, they have spent the last 3 or so years trying to write the next big epoch in banking...

The first words out of the team in questions mouths was oh we don't do documentation we are running agile...

So agile they don't know how any severs they have and no real clue of the systems that they touch on....

Today I'm having a conversation to let the IT security team explain why they can't remount a db feed that has to be read only as a writable object.

The idea that you don't modify read only views that are key to several other application does not seem to tally with their way of thinking because they can do it on their laptop sandbox...

Architects are paid a fortune to protect systems and services from idiots like that....

Oh, so you're at Orchestrade are you? Interesting. I'll give PB a call and have a chat about this situation you've pointed out. That's very worrying for us. Thanks for the heads up.