Collaborative tacit knowledge
Jon Udell dumps some thoughts about tacit knowledge and collaboration:
In my talk I suggested that this kind of unconscious transmission of tacit knowledge may be a key rationale for the practice of pair programming. Two programmers, working side by side, exchange tacit knowledge by osmosis.
To generalize from programming to all use of software-based tools, the equivalent of pair programming – that is, direct observation of one another’s use of such tools – is ideal.
A number of times I have seen a trick over someone’s shoulder that they would never have thought to mention to me. I keep trying to get friends and coworkers to let me watch their monitor or view their terminal using something like screen. Understandably, most people are sort of uncomfortable with this. Not sure what the fix is.. maybe a highlight reel of someone’s hacking session?
posted on: September 19, 2006