Peopleware Papers: Notes on the Human Side of Software, The

Chapter 8. Cowboy Homecoming

When I first rode out onto the software range to write about the problem of “cowboy coders,” I had no idea what a hornet's nest I was poking. Cowboy coders are those industry denizens who denigrate discipline of any kind, spurning methods and models and management alike. They would rather quit than cooperate. The thought of designing before cutting code is enough to make them feel downright claustrophobic. My suggestion that these mostly male code punchers might learn from their more collaborative female counterparts triggered a dust storm of protests. The protesters, nearly all male themselves, accused me of everything from sexism to communism, so it should not be surprising that I held off returning to the subject ...