Re: Way OT: Sprints and open-src coders
Moods
"GregD/OASYSCO" <nowhe...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> So, any of familiar with Sprints? Or worse, actually particpiate in them
Hmm. My coding is a bit rusty. It sounds fun though.
Moods
GregD/OASYSCO
@fe06.lga:
>
> "GregD/OASYSCO" <nowhe...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
>
>> So, any of familiar with Sprints? Or worse, actually particpiate in them
>
>
> Hmm. My coding is a bit rusty. It sounds fun though.
It goes like this - a horde of programmers - many extremely well-known
legends in that particular community as authors, scientists, system folks,
trade show speakers - descend upon a company at the company's invitation.
They gather in a room for 18 hour days over a period of a week or three,
eating pizza, drinking beer/whatever. They pay for their own
transportation; the company pays for food, drink, and lodging.
Think of it as a periodic group gathering, sorta like musicians might do
with the East Coast RRMGA gatherings, only these last for weeks with 18
hour days and the people fly in from all over.
In my earlier days with no family to speak of, it might have been fun, but
I couldn't imagine doing that now. It's like being a musician and going on
the road - something that would not agree with my lifestyle at this point
in my life.
Greg
>
> Moods
GregD/OASYSCO
profession, I thought I'd ask...
My organization is getting involved in Python/Zope/Plone and have been
fortunate to have a couple of SME's (experts) do some local training for us
- Mark Lutz (Python book author) and Joel Burton (of Plone fame).
I understand there is a phenomenon called "Sprints", in which a company
wanting to develop a software system will put the call out to a group of
loosely connected coders. The coders (maybe 10, 15, or 20) fly out to the
company's site (on the coder's dime), put a couple-few weeks of 18 hour
coding days in, fashioning a system that mostly meets specs. The host
company pays for their lodging, food, and drink, but nothing beyond that
unless the host company wants a finished system. The remuneration for this
vagabond group of coders is that they are the original authors of the
original system and in addition to learning the system thy developed, can
reap future benefits by selling their expertise to mod the open-source
(almost free-ware) for others.
So, any of familiar with Sprints? Or worse, actually particpiate in them
:)- Oh, to be 20 years younger.
Greg
Stan Gosnell
news:Xns95B3C4C9...@68.1.17.6:
> So, any of familiar with Sprints? Or worse, actually particpiate in
> them
Sounds like another name for serfdom. I think I'll pass
>:)- Oh, to be 20 years younger.
Always.
--
Regards,
Stan
Tone
Sounds nice and collegiate but they'll get their dough when you have
to hire them back in (at an hourly rate) as consultants to fix or
extend the "almost to spec" system. Not that they shouldn't get money
for it, I just don't think its the complete free lunch you might be
imagining.
> >
> > Moods
paul
> I understand there is a phenomenon called "Sprints", in which a company
> wanting to develop a software system will put the call out to a group of
> loosely connected coders. The coders (maybe 10, 15, or 20) fly out to the
> company's site (on the coder's dime), put a couple-few weeks of 18 hour
> coding days in, fashioning a system that mostly meets specs.
what probably happens is the company gets a half baked version of the
system for free, and then realizes it's cheaper to hire all the
original coders as consultants to bring it up to spec. I've never
heard of this, but I've heard the term "sprint" used as a software
development cycle:
http://books.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/01/05/1712222&tid=156&tid=192&tid=6
--paul
GregD/OASYSCO
news:9d02ac83.04120...@posting.google.com:
Oh yeah. In fact, we jsut got done paying $7K+expenses for a week's
worth of on-site training in this technology. And that's just the start!
Greg
>
>> >
>> > Moods
>
GregD/OASYSCO
news:cf0d1f80.04120...@posting.google.com:
> "GregD/OASYSCO" <nowhe...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:<Xns95B3C4C9...@68.1.17.6>...
>
>> I understand there is a phenomenon called "Sprints", in which a
>> company wanting to develop a software system will put the call out to
>> a group of loosely connected coders. The coders (maybe 10, 15, or 20)
>> fly out to the company's site (on the coder's dime), put a couple-few
>> weeks of 18 hour coding days in, fashioning a system that mostly
>> meets specs.
>
> what probably happens is the company gets a half baked version of the
> system for free, and then realizes it's cheaper to hire all the
> original coders as consultants to bring it up to spec.
That's it exactly!
> I've never
> heard of this, but I've heard the term "sprint" used as a software
> development cycle:
> http://books.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/01/05/1712222&tid=156&tid=1
> 92&tid=6
Thanks for the ptr (no pun intended :)-
Greg
>
> --paul
>