learning

The Documentation

A developer wrote thorough documentation for their service. Years later, the service had changed entirely, but the documentation remained. The senior developer found a junior reading it earnestly. “What are you learning?” they asked. “How the service works.” “You are learning how it once worked. Is that the same thing?” The junior closed the document […]

The Pair Programming

Two developers shared one keyboard, solving problems together. The senior developer watched them debate each line of code. “Which of you is writing the code?” she asked. “Both of us,” they replied. “Then which of you is learning?” Sitting with the Koan At first glance, this koan seems to have an obvious answer: both developers […]