We're introducing pair programming.

I find that pair programming is nice, you have someone to bounce ideas to and for them to tell you how stupid you are :)

@Dacexi There's a time and place for bouncing ideas. Do you really need someone sitting next to you all the time, discussing and critiquing your every step?

You should be able to depend on a competent dev, that has been given a reasonable idea of what needs doing, to do the work satisfactorily. Review at various points if you must, but it's a serious red flag if you can't let them get on with it without needing another dev's eagle eye on their every move.

I can maybe see the benefit of it for rookies. Pair prog. does put me in mind of students huddled around a laptop, trying to work out how to complete a ask-user-for-three-numbers-and-print-out-their-average assignment.

Pair prog's a thing because dev isn't much to watch. Manager/sales types think that if you aren't having noisy conversations, or don't have a phone glued to your head, then you aren't working hard enough.

Why isn't pair construction/plumbing/mechanics/surgery a thing?

And also damn the 1000 char limit on comments.

I really, really really despise pair programming. It feels like you spend twice as many manhours on the same. I feel it's often used instead of a short discussion beforehand, while that would be much more efficient.