C Programmer's Environment

[Stephen J. Friedl]

> In article <1133 at vsi.COM> friedl at vsi.COM (Stephen J. Friedl) writes:
> Whether somebody uses emacs or vi doesn't really have the impact
> of other things like compilers, but in many environments,
> personal productivity is not the highest measure.
 
In article <4726 at alvin.mcnc.org>, spl at mcnc.org (Steve Lamont) writes:
> What is?  Conformity?

I can't say for sure what the highest measure it, but "group
productivity" is likely to be right up there.  Of course,
personal productivity of the individual team members is a very
important part of this, and I am the first to encourage people to
use tools and techniques that let them make best use of their
time.  When they take a turn that cuts down on the productivity
of the other team members, then the benefits of this new turn
must be weighed.

Let's say that any ten of us (including me) are on the project
team.  I might be very productive, but if my C coding style is
*so*out*there* that nobody can read my code (or refuses to), then
should I be allowed to keep it?  I say maybe not.  Yes, a forced
change will cut down on my productivity, but if it increases the
overall group productivity then it must be considered.

Some productivity measures are benign with respect to the group,
and I would say that choice of an editor is one of them (assuming
the selected one is available anyway).  Saying "you can't use
Emacs because we don't like you" seems like a shortsighted
decision to me.

These decisions can certainly be religious -- programmers have
strongs senses of "doing it my way" -- and they are subjective
as well.  Nevertheless, the impact of all personal decisions
must be weighed against the productivity of the group.

     Steve

-- 
Stephen J. Friedl / V-Systems, Inc. / Santa Ana, CA / +1 714 545 6442 
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