A project manager's cry on StartingWithExtremeProgramming
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Well, a rose by any other name would spell as sweet, but who wants the spikey-bush plant in their garden?

ExtremeProgramming? Is that programming with a bandana tied round your head? Does everyone have to grow a goatee? Do we have to drink Pepsi? Rollerblade around the office?

Short, snappy names are good, but since first reading about XP, I've increasingly found that the name:
	* tells me nothing about the thing
	* has a lot of unfortunate associations

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The name is a test. ExtremeProgramming is largely about managing the fear of programming. If management are afraid of the name, they're not ready for XP. We'll come back when they're more desperate for success. ''"You can pay me now, or you can pay me [more] later ..."''

''And that's good because?'' 

It's good because no project methodology can succeed without management support. If management can't cope with the name, they'll certainly not be able to cope with little XP details like the developers saying how long things will take. So getting involved with such an organization would be a bad idea. 

Unless the thing about it being a test was humor ...

''I can think of a better reason to keep the name: continuity. It really doesn't matter so much what you call it, so long as the conception is kept clean and consistent over time. If it wavers too much then it's not a line in the sand any more, and TheSameOldThing will wear it away.''
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CategoryExtremeProgramming