I don't have any experience with Pair Programming as it is typically prescribed by "agile" project managers, but from my understanding of Pair Programming, I believe that there are more cases like this where Pair Programming doesn't work than there are cases where it does work.
I've also run into a fundamentally flawed hiring scheme at every company that uses Ruby on Rails in which I am flat out not considered if I do not have experience working on an "agile" team doing every day pair programming. There are a lot of job descriptions that back this issue up.
I learned Ruby on Rails on my own and have successfully developed and deployed two significant applications during my spare time using Ruby on Rails in the last 3 years. The applications I've written are not open source and they are not public access sites, and until I do get something written within the public facing / open source realm, I am convinced that I probably won't ever get considered for a full time rails job.
I've mostly just about given up on ever expecting to get hired by a company that uses Ruby on Rails. It is all total bullshit in my opinion. I will continue to use Ruby on Rails on my own and ignore Pair Programming because I see Pair Programming as a form of micromanagement and not an opportunity for programming productivity.
I have plenty of experience working with other software developers on the same piece of code, in front of the same terminal window, for two or three hours at a time - always initiated by myself or the other developer, not prescribed by management. The fact that I don't do it every day is irrelevant in my opinion.
"I've also run into a fundamentally flawed hiring scheme at every company that uses Ruby on Rails in which I am flat out not considered if I do not have experience working on an "agile" team doing every day pair programming."
This sounds like sample error. It is true that RoR culture overlaps with pair programming/XP culture and agile culture, but there are VERY MANY RoR places that do not pair every day.
I've also run into a fundamentally flawed hiring scheme at every company that uses Ruby on Rails in which I am flat out not considered if I do not have experience working on an "agile" team doing every day pair programming. There are a lot of job descriptions that back this issue up.
I learned Ruby on Rails on my own and have successfully developed and deployed two significant applications during my spare time using Ruby on Rails in the last 3 years. The applications I've written are not open source and they are not public access sites, and until I do get something written within the public facing / open source realm, I am convinced that I probably won't ever get considered for a full time rails job.
I've mostly just about given up on ever expecting to get hired by a company that uses Ruby on Rails. It is all total bullshit in my opinion. I will continue to use Ruby on Rails on my own and ignore Pair Programming because I see Pair Programming as a form of micromanagement and not an opportunity for programming productivity.
I have plenty of experience working with other software developers on the same piece of code, in front of the same terminal window, for two or three hours at a time - always initiated by myself or the other developer, not prescribed by management. The fact that I don't do it every day is irrelevant in my opinion.