InfoQ Homepage Delivering Value Content on InfoQ
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Working with Mingle
InfoQ had some time with Mingle project engineer Jay Wallace, to use ThoughtWorks' much anticipated Mingle software and demonstrate to us how it differentiates itself from other products by being a truly agile project management tool.
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Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Agile compatibility
Design in the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) world involves working with the user to understand the problem and come up with a user interface – typically on paper - of the entire system before turning it over, in Big Design Upfront (BDUF) manner, to the rest of the development team to build. So how can Robert Biddle claim that HCI has home-grown practices that are very similar to those of Agile?
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Does Cost Accounting Cause Crappy Code?
Cost accounting , the standard accounting approach to analyzing the monetary value of a project, treats all parts of a project independently and encourages local optimization. Local optimization of costs means that you focus on task completion time. A focus on minimizing task completion time means that you don't have time for refactoring and other niceties - they are too expensive.
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What can Math and Psychology teach us about Agile?
With Agile, we avoid early commitments to gain flexibility later. APLN members Chris Matts and Olav Maassen have noted a connection here with the math behind financial options. Their article introduces "Real Options," applying both psychology and financial math to our thinking about Agile practices. They propose it will help us refine our agile practices and take agile in new directions.
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Accurate Estimates - the ultimate oxymoron?
Amit Rathore questions the value of real time task based estimates in the planning and execution of software projects, taking a lean stance on what they bring to the software delivery party.
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InfoQ Interview: David Hussman on Coaching Agile Adoption
Agile coach and practitioner David Hussman talked to InfoQ about his approach to helping teams and organizations adopting Agile, including his ideas about customizing it without compromising the common denominators required to make Agile really work. He talked about "story tests", addressing manager fears as their team self-organizes, and building a vibrant development community.
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Reminder: You are Not Your User
David S. Platt presented a keynote called "Why Software Sucks" at SD West recently, illustrating something we should already know: designing for ourselves is risky business. "Unless you're writing programs for a bunch of burned out computer geeks, your user isn't you."
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Darwin and Service Reuse: Competition is Good
Service reuse is something that many SOA proponents say is a benefit. However, proponents of object-orientation techniques said the same thing and that didn't materialize. Is introducing competition in the service arena a way of getting improvements in reuse?
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InfoQ Interview: Mary and Tom Poppendieck on using Lean for Competitive Advantage
Lean software gurus Mary and Tom Poppendieck share their years of practical experience, as they speak on the history of Lean thinking, the value of fast delivery and deferred committment, their use of Value Stream Mapping to identify and reduce waste, the importance of identifying and dealing well with cross-organizational and inter-organizational boundaries, and how Lean relates to RUP and Scrum.
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User-Centric Development Approaches: What's Next?
On her Creating Passionate Users blog, Kathy Sierra recently envisioned software that's not just usable, but transparent, helping users achieve "flow" in their work without intrusive distractions, delays or constraints. Perhaps end-user "flow" is the next big differentiator - and if so, what will the development processes look like that support the creation of such software?
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Agile Planning Reduces Stress for Business and Developers
In The Freedom of Limited Capacity, Agile coach Mishkin Berteig wrote about what happened when he used Agile planning practices on his own business. By making his long work queue visible, he now had a better way to grapple with reality. Paradoxically, he also experienced a reduction in his stress level - in spite of his very visible backlog! The same effect has been observed on Agile teams.
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ScrumWorks Pro Announced
Danube Technologies this week announced the release of ScrumWorks Pro, an enhanced, commercially supported version of their free ScrumWorks product, created specifically to support the overwhelming customer requests for new features and professional support. The product provides support for business-value driven decision making.
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InfoQ Interview: Ron Jeffries on Running, Tested Features
At Agile2006, Ron Jeffries told InfoQ that tracking "Running Tested Features" is the essential element of Agility, from which all other practices and activities necessarily follow. Ron who took to the whiteboard to explain how RTF benefits customers, by helping helps teams deliver consistently and reliably.
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How Closely Should We Measure Productivity?
A goal of agile methodologies is to improve the productivity of software developers. Unfortunately, productivity can be difficult to measure. In a recent blog posting, Lidor Wyssocky argues against focusing too closely on quantifiable metrics, encouraging us instead to look at "soft evidence" for productivity gains.
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Network Computing Reader Poll: Drop the Buzzwords, Deliver the Goods
Over 700 IT managers responded to the 2007 Network Computing Readers' Survey, many of whom reported frustration with the internal strife and snake-oil salesmanship of technology vendors. Respondents recommended that vendors stop "promising capabilities that aren't there", and "address actual business problems, rather than chasing buzzwords."