XP Practices versus Values?

Abstract

This panel will discuss the consequences of alternative characterizations of Xtreme Programming (XP): Some practitioners feel that the four values make XP what it is, while others emphasize the explicit list of XP practices as definitive. People who define XP in terms of its values, tend to emphasize the humane aspects of XP - that XP is about interactions among people and so if a team focuses on embracing the XP values the team will be successful in adopting XP, regardless of their list of best practices. In contrast, people who define XP in terms of its practices tend to emphasize the mechanical aspects of XP - that XP is about writing better code and so if a team focuses on correctly applying the XP practices, the team will be successful in adopting XP, even if they have a different value system.