Acceptance Test for Hiring Java Developers

While researching for my news post on InfoQ, I came across a very interesting acceptance test for Java developers in an extreme programming yahoo group.

The test goes like this

class SeniorDeveloperAcceptanceTest extends TestCase{
Developer candidate;
Collection team;
public void setUp() {
candidate = new Developer();
team = Leirios.getTeam();
}
public void testTechnicalSkills() {
assertTrue(candidate.isJavaExpert());
assertTrue(candidate.canDesignLargeApplication());
assertTrue(candidate.canReduceTechnicalDebt());
assertTrue(candidate.practiceTDD());
}

public void testTeachingSkills() {
assertTrue(candidate.canImproveTeamSkills());
assertTrue(candidate.canArgueAboutAgility());
}

public void testHumanBehavior() {
assertTrue(candidate.canPairProgram());
assertTrue(candidate.canIntegrateWith(team));
assertTrue(candidate.hasPositiveAttitude());
}

public void testMethodologySkills() {
assertTrue(candidate.knowExtremeProgramming());
assertTrue(candidate.canImproveTeamVelocity());
}
}

Getting Ready for SaaS

With the current economic situation, more often than not, organizations would be evaluating various options available to get more for the buck. 2009 would be remembered as an year where almost everybody is keeping their fingers crossed and praying to finish the year unscathed.

Given the current scenario the SaaS model fits well with the plans of many organizations. It sits at a sweet spot between build versus buy and gives the desired economies of scale.

However, before getting onto the SaaS bandwagon there are an important set of questions that the organization needs to answer. The mindmap below tries to summarize them.

If Multi-Tasking is bad, Multi-Tasking with Multi-Reporting is Hell

There have been numerous studies to show that multi-tasking is not efficient and the human brain cannot multi-task efficiently. If we say that it is then we are deluding.

1. Multi-tasking is less efficient, due to the need to switch gears for each new task, and the switch back again. It involves a lot of context switching and thus less time to be effective.
2. Multi-tasking is more complicated, and thus more prone to stress and errors.
3. Multi-tasking can be crazy, and in this already chaotic world, we need to reign in the terror and find a little oasis of sanity and calm.

There are ways to be efficient and the rule # 1 is not to multi-task

So by now you would have agreed that multi-tasking is bad. Now let me introduce you to hell.