Runwayapp.com launched

Our agile friends at cogent have launched their first product! It's a very nice GTD app. Check out http://runwayapp.com

Meetup Monday 4 May at the Metro

Traditional random topic SyXPAC meeting on Monday. This time, let's try the Metro and see how we like it.


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I'll be at the Gallery Bar (level 2). Give me a call on 0418 873 729 if you can't find us.

An Overview of XP / Agile + Project initiation using workshops, poker chip planning and forcasting velocity

Update: Date and topic change:

Our first formal event of 2009 will be on the 9th March at ThoughtWorks Sydney.

Jason will be doing an Overview of XP / Agile for beginners (as well as a reminder to the rest) while Ben Hogan will be talking about Project initiation using workshops, poker chip planning and forcasting velocity.

Please sign up on the Upcoming page so we have an idea of numbers.

P.S.: If you're interested in speaking or running an exercise at future events, comment here, contact us, or add something to the Topics Backlog

"Deliver IT in the current conditions" and planning the next sessions

Recently did a presentation to a client and I thought I could do a "laptop presentation" on Monday (24 November).

In addition, I'd like to do some brainstorming of topics and volunteers to run them. One of them will be the next Coding Dojo.

Usual place (Moreton's), usual time (18:30ish to 20:30ish)

Dave Thomas (the Smalltalk one) -- 25 November 2008

Just realised that I didn't post anything to the blog.

Dave Thomas, formerly of OTI, now of Object Mentor and various other things will be doing a presentation on the 25th of November as part of promotion for JAOO Australia 2009.

More details at the Upcoming page.

Coding Dojo demonstrating the power of reflect and adjust

Well I think the Coding Dojo last Thursday was quite successful despite some scrambling in the beginning.  Thanks to Matt Ryall for organising things at Atlassian and all the participants for showing up with really only one days notice.

From the discussion at the end, our current plan is to run these monthly so stay tuned...

There seemed to be quite a dramatic improvement after a quick retrospective we held in the middle so here's a shot of the board (also includes additions from the retrospective at the end) (click for larger version):

Works Well

• TextMate much better than gVim
  
• Bigger font sizes
  
• zsh scripting skillz (thanks again to Matt Ryall)
• Google
• autotest
  

Could be Better

• Most people didn't know how to use gVim => switched to Dave's Mac + TextMate
  
• The coding pair was too quiet so the audience doesn't know what's going on => Added a responsibility to the co-pilot to relay to the audience what's going on
• Our crowd was mostly Java and .NET types and we didn't have enough familiarity with Ruby syntax, tools, etc.
• Kept forgetting to switch pairs on time => zsh script + Growl = "Changeover now" audio signal every 5 minutes.

Puzzling

• Should we try to control the input of the crowd?  As it was, there were periods of chaos, multiple discussions, and then focus, and then back.  On reflection, I think we liked that.

Things to Try For Next Time

• Defnitely use some kind of timed audio signal for changeovers.  When I first tried this internally at ThoughtWorks we just used someone's phone.  The Growl setup was cooler but the important thing I think is that it's automated and aural.
• The coding pair has to bring the audience along.  Co-pilot vocalising what's happening is one way to do that.
• Setup the tools before hand.  So a dummy test that just asserts false or something.
• Use a language environment enough people know at least moderately well.  Suggests that we should poll the attendees before the dojo session.
• Multiple simultaneous sessions.  Versus style.  This could be alternative languages solving the same problem or an actual versus problem like RRobots or Robocode.
• A warm-up kata for beginners.  Our crowd, although not the best Rubyists was actually quite experienced with TDD and pairing concepts.  From that perspective, it would be difficult for someone new to those concepts to follow what we were doing.  I'm thinking we could start with a warm-up kata and then transition to a second "full speed" session.
  

18 Sept - Coding Dojo at Atlassian

We're meeting up this Thursday at Atlassian to try a Coding Dojo, randori-style. We'll be attempting Madlibs from Ruby Quiz, using Ruby, pair rotation every 5 minutes. Of course, if people are interested in a different approach, problem, or language, we'll adjust on the fly

173-185 Sussex St, Sydney 2001, 18:00 to 20:30 ish.


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