Comments on: There Must Be a Better Way http://www.runningasroot.com/blog/2006/07/08/the-problem-with-email/ My own observations, reviews, and stuff I'm working on. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:28:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Running as Root » Blog Archive » Improving Wiki http://www.runningasroot.com/blog/2006/07/08/the-problem-with-email/comment-page-1/#comment-1372 Running as Root » Blog Archive » Improving Wiki Mon, 28 Aug 2006 14:29:55 +0000 http://www.runningasroot.com/blog/2006/07/08/the-problem-with-email/#comment-1372 [...] I’ve already gone over my desire to add more tools and procedures to our distributed team development process. My next issue is with one of the tools that I like quite a bit. I think that the way we’re using Wiki is leaving something to be desired. [...] [...] I've already gone over my desire to add more tools and procedures to our distributed team development process. My next issue is with one of the tools that I like quite a bit. I think that the way we're using Wiki is leaving something to be desired. [...]

]]> By: People Over Process http://www.runningasroot.com/blog/2006/07/08/the-problem-with-email/comment-page-1/#comment-954 People Over Process Tue, 11 Jul 2006 21:44:38 +0000 http://www.runningasroot.com/blog/2006/07/08/the-problem-with-email/#comment-954 <strong>Perhaps Face-to-face Isn't So Valuable, or, Time-shifted Collaboration in Agile Software Development...</strong> One of Robert's recent posts on process and tools in software development got me to thinking about one of my eternally unanswered questions: if you're using even a fraction of the collaboration tools available "properly," do you really need to...... Perhaps Face-to-face Isn't So Valuable, or, Time-shifted Collaboration in Agile Software Development…

One of Robert's recent posts on process and tools in software development got me to thinking about one of my eternally unanswered questions: if you're using even a fraction of the collaboration tools available "properly," do you really need to……

]]> By: Chris http://www.runningasroot.com/blog/2006/07/08/the-problem-with-email/comment-page-1/#comment-950 Chris Tue, 11 Jul 2006 12:04:55 +0000 http://www.runningasroot.com/blog/2006/07/08/the-problem-with-email/#comment-950 We use the Wiki as a main documentation reference. We use an email list software, think listsoft (not what we use but an example), for email communication. Those messages are stored centrally, can be read and searched by anyone and they have persistance beyond a single developers lifetime. We use the Wiki as a main documentation reference. We use an email list software, think listsoft (not what we use but an example), for email communication. Those messages are stored centrally, can be read and searched by anyone and they have persistance beyond a single developers lifetime.

]]> By: Robert http://www.runningasroot.com/blog/2006/07/08/the-problem-with-email/comment-page-1/#comment-949 Robert Tue, 11 Jul 2006 03:59:16 +0000 http://www.runningasroot.com/blog/2006/07/08/the-problem-with-email/#comment-949 Excellent points. And of course eliminating that firewall would allow my favorite: bloglines. It’s all well and good that most of the stuff we normally think of is finally getting an RSS feed, but it’s a shame not to be able to use bloglines (or whatever your favorite online aggregator is). Sticking more stuff like an aggregator in Outlook never felt ideal to me… I agree that good developers are usually pretty lazy (in a good way), but they also don’t like to be bothered. Broadcasting status via blogs and documenting procedure updates via wiki may be a good way to keep other people from getting up in your grill and killing your productivity. Forums also allow you to deal with the conversation when it’s convenient for you. Meetings have a habit of wandering and never producing anything very useful. Luckily, I think the people on my team are thinking the same way. We just need to get the process and the tools to solidify I think. Excellent points. And of course eliminating that firewall would allow my favorite: bloglines. It’s all well and good that most of the stuff we normally think of is finally getting an RSS feed, but it’s a shame not to be able to use bloglines (or whatever your favorite online aggregator is). Sticking more stuff like an aggregator in Outlook never felt ideal to me…

I agree that good developers are usually pretty lazy (in a good way), but they also don’t like to be bothered. Broadcasting status via blogs and documenting procedure updates via wiki may be a good way to keep other people from getting up in your grill and killing your productivity. Forums also allow you to deal with the conversation when it’s convenient for you. Meetings have a habit of wandering and never producing anything very useful. Luckily, I think the people on my team are thinking the same way. We just need to get the process and the tools to solidify I think.

]]> By: Cote' http://www.runningasroot.com/blog/2006/07/08/the-problem-with-email/comment-page-1/#comment-943 Cote' Mon, 10 Jul 2006 14:36:54 +0000 http://www.runningasroot.com/blog/2006/07/08/the-problem-with-email/#comment-943 That's a good list. There are, also, our friends search, IM, and teleconferences. Screen-sharing (Windows Meeting, WebEx, whatever) is another good one. Whenever I think of process improvement, I just think about what people do on the public Internet, which matches well with what you have above. But, you know me: I'd foist everything on the Internet on the Intranet if I could...or just eliminate the firewall all together. Then you could use flickr, del.icio.us, and, best of all, meritocracy. On complaining, I was having an interesting discussion with a development executive the other day, and he remarked that developers are usually the most set in their ways of all software people. Reflecting on my own experience, this seems true: as Larry Wall pointed out long ago, developers are lazy. Once they figure out something that "works," there's reluctance to do otherwise. Of course, that's a generalization that probably applies to less than 40% of developers, but that's enough of a % to slow things down. That's a good list. There are, also, our friends search, IM, and teleconferences. Screen-sharing (Windows Meeting, WebEx, whatever) is another good one.

Whenever I think of process improvement, I just think about what people do on the public Internet, which matches well with what you have above.

But, you know me: I'd foist everything on the Internet on the Intranet if I could…or just eliminate the firewall all together. Then you could use flickr, del.icio.us, and, best of all, meritocracy.

On complaining, I was having an interesting discussion with a development executive the other day, and he remarked that developers are usually the most set in their ways of all software people. Reflecting on my own experience, this seems true: as Larry Wall pointed out long ago, developers are lazy. Once they figure out something that "works," there's reluctance to do otherwise.

Of course, that's a generalization that probably applies to less than 40% of developers, but that's enough of a % to slow things down.

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