Cars have MPH (Miles per Hour) that measures the speed that
they travel. The better the car the faster the MPH or speed. Developers have
WTFPM (WTF per Minute) that measures the number of ‘Works That Frustrate’ that
the developer can read per minute, aka code quality. And just like cars, the
better the developer the more WTFPM they can attain. Here is where they differ
however. With a car, the BETTER the road the more MPH it can attain. With a
developer, the WORSE the code the more WTFPM can be obtained.
Signs that a developer is increasing their WTFPM can include
but is not limited to:
- A rumbling sound as they start to audibly growl at the code they are reading.
- A reddening of the face as their temper gets hotter and hotter.
- A whiting of the knuckles as they grip onto the mouse to keep from losing control of their WTFPM.
Warning: A overly high WTFPM can result in the following:
- Desk Flipping
- Rage Coding as offending code is completely re-written (with or without a PBI/Task)
- In the most serious of cases, Rage Quitting for the day/week/month/year/lifetime
Activities that can control the WTFPM in the workplace:
- Code Reviews - These allow for a controlled WTFPM increase while also addressing the offending code. Due to the small amount of code being reviewed at any given time the WTFPM should be relatively small and controllable.
- Shop Standards and adherence to them - Look at this like a global WTFPM governor. If these are adhered to the WTFPM should remain manageable.
- 'Ongoing Education' and 'Learning from Your Mistakes' - This power duo should lower the WTFPM attained by other developers reading your code, because you never know if the developer reading your code will be a violent psychopath who knows where you live.
