NYCPHP Meetup

[Keith Casey]

On 8/17/06, Ben Sgro <bens at oddcast.com> wrote:
> Is it crazy to think I can change things from the bottom, by writing the
> specs and speaking with the other programmers to reach a consensus on 'best
> practices' and create 'grassroots' support? Should I just 'suck it up' and
> put in my time, then move to another job?

Often, yes.  ;)

Implementing that sort of thing is difficult no matter where you
insert it *unless* you have the power to punish people for not
complying.  Then again, who'd want to work for you?

>From my experience - and yes, this is harsh - personal embarassment is
the best motivator.  Publish the coding standards, get everyone to
generally agree on the key points and then start having small code
reviews.  Choose one of your own modules, pass it out to a few of your
peers/subordinates/superiors and tear into it.  Then announce what the
next module to review will be.  When a few people see what you do to
your own code, they a) will be more likely to contribute and b) won't
want to suffer the wrath.  That's why starting with your own stuff is
key.

The goal isn't really to embarass people... after all, CodeMonkey not
crazy, just proud.  ;)

My 0.02,
kc

-- 
D. Keith Casey Jr.
CEO, CaseySoftware, LLC
http://CaseySoftware.com