Why Pair Programming Is Good: Because You Lose Focus

I may be unique in this, but I simply can not program continually for too long. At some point I will hit some challenge that I am not completely sure how to solve and I will begin to zone out. Half an hour (or worse) later I will stop surfing the Internet and finally get back to work.

Pair programming is the first solution to this problem I have ever seen. It helps deal with this inevitable lack of focus in two ways.

1. Peer Pressure
1. There are few things as effective as peer pressure for making people act a certain way. When you are pair programming you simply do not feel like you can go off and surf the Internet for a while. You can zone out though, which is where the second reason comes into play.
2. Tag Team Effort
1. When you do zone out, you simply sit back and take on a less focused role, allowing your pair to drive the development process.

I don't believe that zoning out is a bad thing necessarily. You need to give your mind a chance to rest if you are going to be effective. Pair programming is almost too efficient in this regard, but it does help keep the Internet surfing to a minimum.