- Autonomy: "I came to learn a little {Scala | Ruby | CoffeeScript | whatever}"
- Mastery: "Sweet! How'd you do that?" "I'll show you."
- Purpose: "I came to code and to learn."
- Oh, and ... good food: "Breakfast is ready."
Why Code Craftsman Saturdays?
So what is this Code Craftsman Saturdays thing?
Every month, on the 2nd Saturday, software developers of every stripe and every level get together for a full day of pairing, test driving, food, and fun. There are no presentations, no vendors, and no recruiters. Just other software craftspeople learning from one other. We alternate between two formats: code retreat (see below) and a "deep dive".Registration information is used to count how many people attended and is not shared with sponsors.
Did I mention? It's free, we feed you, and you get to pair with a different stranger every hour for a full day. What more can you ask for?
Code Retreat: Often, we use a format Corey Haines and Patrick Wilson-Welsh created what's called a Code Retreat. Other times we'll do a variation that JB Rainsberger calls a Legacy Code retreat where the focus is how to safely rescue really bad code. In the course of a code retreat we may throw in something different for one session, like a Fish Bowl or coding throw-down. I'll throw you a curve by adding constraints based on what comes up in the retrospective (at the end of each hour).
Deep Dive: A topic is chosen in advance. A presenter/leader provides a series of exercises as a guide. This is the place where you get to experience some depth and breadth. The presenter/leader is chosen for both their passion and knowledge of the topic.
What all of these have in common is that we will be Test Driving* code and either pair programming or mob programming**, and learning will occur (usually amidst all the fun). The only thing you won't know in advance is exactly where the learning will most impact you.
So please use the "register" link for the month you want on the "Upcoming Schedule" tab and join us for some intentional practice.
Why was Code Craftsman Saturdays invented?
Three reasons:One: No one else did it.
Two: Someone should be doing it.
Three: It's so much fun!
OK, a fourth reason: There are plenty of presentation-format meet-ups already. I wanted to do something different. Athletes and musicians practice their craft regularly and software developers should have as much fun as, and be every bit as passionate about their craft as musicians or athletes. My goal is to make intentional practice just plain fun. That's the code retreat part.
The deep dive part is adding some depth that goes beyond technique and into subject matter: languages, tools, and frameworks, but also team practices.
* One thing you need to know about "Test Driven Development": As Jeff Patton points out, it isn't really about testing, that's just one of the outcomes.
** Mob Programming: "All the brilliant people working on the same thing, at the same time, in the same place, and on the same computer." Blame it on Woody Zuill and Industrial Logic
