This post originated from an RSS feed registered with .NET Buzz by Brendan Tompkins. Original Post: The Java Posse on Agile Feed Title: Brendan Tompkins Feed URL: /error.htm?aspxerrorpath=/blogs/brendan.tompkins/Rss.aspx Feed Description: Blog First. Ask Questions Later. Latest .NET Buzz Posts Latest .NET Buzz Posts by Brendan Tompkins Latest Posts From Brendan Tompkins

Recently, I've started to listen to the JavaPosse podcasts, over at JavaPosse.Com.  I find it really interesting to hear about the issues that the Java world is facing, especially since many of them are essentially the same as in the .NET world.    Actually, I think the differences between the two worlds are getting smaller and smaller as we adopt more of the Java Camp's tools and methodologies.  Anyhow, it's a good podcast, I recommend it.

This week, they're talking a bit about the Cedric Beust rant on Agile.  The Java Posse guys have a very refreshing common sense discussion of Agile.  I'm not sure where we're going to end up after the current zeitgeist of Agile bashing, but as a proponent of agile, I'm not too worried.

I'm actually reminded of a similar paradigm shift that happened in the world of psychology in the last 50 years or so.  Around the middle of the 20th century most of psychology was focused on behaviorism.  There were zealots who thought every aspect of being alive could be explained and manipulated by some very simple, proven principles of behavior.  Predictably, there was a huge backlash against behaviorism where many psychologists claimed that human behavior was much more complex – the Cognitive revolution.  So who was right?  Well, it depends.  When you absolutely have to change behavior, when there’s money or lives on the line, the theory that get adopted and applied is behaviorism.  Why?  Because it works.

So, why am I not worried about the future or Agile?  I think a similar thing is going to happen in the future with software development.  When it really matters, when there’s lots of money or lives on the line,  when maintainable software has to be done right in a short amount of time with few errors, Agile principles are going to win out.

-Brendan

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