The more things change...

...the more obvious it is that there is nothing new to learn, just new people to learn it. To prove it, today we go back more than 2000 years to find the answer to such TDD FAQ's as "how much is too much when refactoring?", "Can methods be too small?" and the ever-popular "Do I have to apply the XP simplicity rules like a zombie, or can I think a little?".

This is also my mini-rant against those who run around with copies of the XP white book, and an armload of links to wiki sites acting like somewhere in the XP literature it says: "Software development is easy just follow these simple rules you dolt!" -- and so confuse, alienate or simply piss off those trying to learn more about XP, and TDD.

For all these XP sophomores, I have a simple suggestion: "Knock it off guys." To all things there is a happy medium, and experience is how we learn what that is -- not by applying rules like some mindless bureaucrat. But don't take my word for it, just ask Aristotle.