"What Programmers Want"

Conference: ACCU 2014

Dates: 9-12 April 2014

Journal: http://accu.org/index.php/conferences/accu_conference_2014

Abstract:

If you have ever asked yourself "Why did they do THAT!?" when wrestling with a fellow programmer's work, you are the intended audience for this session.

I am engaged in research to try to answer this question, or at least ask better versions of it. Although it often goes no further than an expression of frustration, it is actually a question that deserves closer scrutiny because it is important to productivity and morale. In order to address it and help programmers avoid the pitfalls that provoke an exclamation of "Why did they do THAT!?" I first need to be clear about what "THAT!" is. I have interviewed software developers with a total of more than 400 years of industry experience between them to find out. In this interactive session I will share the common themes that have emerged: what experienced developers say about the decisions made by their peers and how these can make the job harder or easier. Participants also told me that they enjoyed the method I used to help them to reflect on their programming experience, so I will give you the chance to try it out for yourself.

Acknowledgement: My research would not be possible without the generous help of my participants. My heartfelt thanks to ACCU for allowing me to recruit at the 2013 conference, and to everyone who volunteered to take part.

http://accu.org/index.php/conferences/accu_conference_2014/accu2014_sessions#what_programmer_s_want

Source: Manual

Preferred by: Gail Ollis