Why Stick With Xp

What's the argument in favour of keeping the current name? I get the feeling some people are really wedded to it. Is that right? If so, why? -- DaveHarris

I'm not personally "wedded" to it, but there are 337 wiki pages referring to it, many pages on my site, several articles, and at least two draft books. --RonJeffries

In favor of "Extreme Programming":

It's attention grabbing
It's unlikely ever be co-opted by those with dramatically different opinions
Once you have it explained, it is a very precise description of what is going on- the primary metaphor of XP is programming, and XP takes its practices to extremes that many people find improbable

The downside of "Extreme Programming" is fairly obvious- lots of folks hear the name and decide they don't want to hear more, even if they might be enthusiastic supporters of the same material with a different name.

I still think the problem is CrossingTheXpChasm. The trick is to explain the possibilities- how you can make money with XP that you couldn't make otherwise. After two years of watching it in action every day I had no idea just how responsive XP could be. It took Ron months to pound into my head the idea that the customer really picks the most valuable iteration's worth of stories at the beginning of each iteration, and the team really doesn't care which stories they are. I thought you had to assign stories to iterations at the beginning.

I'm focusing my energies at the moment on learning how to communicate that message- you really can steer software projects. If we get that message across, the name won't be a problem. If we don't get the message across, we could call it "The First Fidelity Mutual Trust and Reassurance Software Development Methodology" and we'd get no takers. --KentBeck

The name, ExtremeProgramming, seems poetic and evocative to me. But why is poetry important in software engineering? I think it is. One of the purposes of poetry is to provoke new ideas and associations. ExtremeProgramming, as I see it, is not just the current methodology, but an evolving process that requires ongoing creativity. ---CayteLindner

Personally, I like the name ExtremeProgramming. (That might well support the notion that the name will scare off the suits!) But it occurs to me that the name should not be the critical concern at this point. The current focus should be two-fold: getting the word out to a broader audience (books, articles, etc.) and actually using XP in new places and on new projects. both are happening. After XP has spread the name will be an asset. --KielHodges

I liked it when I first heard it, in fact it gave that rare thrill of anticipation, of it can't be what I think it is, but just maybe, at last .. as I had my first report on XP after OOPSLA last year. I've now read a lot of what it stands for and I still like it a lot. I agree it's poetic. Yet the reaction of a number of 'suits' when I have mentioned it recently has been profound - depending of course how you exactly come out with it.

Most of all I agree with Kent that this is because people need to know and many are now ready to change radically to discover that you really can steer software projects. I've believed it for years, practiced it more than most, seen some truly amazing results. And a whole lot of backing away, not normally by suits but by technical people (and the richest man in the world belongs in which pigeonhole?) - from how extreme the implications seem to be. That's why it is a good name. Anyone put off by it isn't going to have the courage to make the necessary changes anyhow. --RichardDrake