Wabewalker

I’ve just figured out why extreme programming annoys me so: it’s the objectivism of the software engineering world.

Objectivism is a reaction to communism: since communism is inherently “evil,” any philosophy diametrically opposite communism must be inherently “good.” Extreme programming arises from a similar rationale: since formal methods inhibit programmer creativity and thus limit programmer performance, any system that rejects a structured approach to development must encourage creativity and production.

Extremism in the defense of a virtue may be no vice, but it is in itself never virtuous.