Hello. This is Matsubara from Coding Factory (CF).
CF coders do everything from direction to coding and JS and CMS implementation by themselves, so they basically work on one project at a time. Even if they are working next to each other on the same team, most of the members work alone in silence.
At our daily evening meetings, we check the progress of each project, and when we get stuck on coding, we ask each other questions in the Chatwork group for coders. However, there aren't many opportunities for coders to talk about things like, "I recently made this new discovery," or "This is what I'm interested in right now."
In order to improve this situation and raise the technical skills of the team, monthly "coder meetings" began in September 2014.
All the coders of CF gather together to talk about anything related to web production, such as the latest technology and tools that can be used, and it is a valuable place to share information. It feels more like a small event than a meeting.
What is a "Coder Meeting"?
One day at a coder meeting
We asked coders what they thought about coder meetings.
Newbie Coder A :
In the "3-minute Topic," I discuss any questions I have about myself. I think it's a great opportunity to hear the opinions of many seniors at once, and speaking in front of everyone also helps me practice directing, so it kills two birds with one stone.
Senior Coder B :
I always give lightning talks about "cool technologies I've discovered recently."
Preparing your slides will help you deepen your knowledge, and best of all, impressing everyone will boost your confidence.
Coder C :
I'm not very good at giving presentations, but I learn a lot just by listening to everyone's talks.
At first I thought two hours was a bit long, but the time passed by in an instant.
There seem to be a lot of positive opinions, which is great!
Now, I would like to introduce what we specifically discuss, based on the agenda for one particular day.
Part 1: Announcements
First, the contact information.
Anything that needs to be shared among all coders is mainly communicated by the team leader, Kojima.
Not only Kojima, but the other day, for example, leader Murakami from the Quality Control Department (formerly the Check Team) participated as a guest.
There was an explanation about the new check flow.
This is also a valuable opportunity to talk with all the coders face-to-face, so we also talk about important things that we want to convey directly to everyone at the coder meetings.
Part 2: Technology sharing
The "Coding Methodology" authors will present drafts of their planned articles for the next issue.
First of all, what is "Coding Methodology"? At CF, we send out a newsletter by mail every month. One of the sections in that newsletter is called "Coding Methodology."
Written by a rotation of CF coders, it introduces methods for speed, technique, and accuracy.
Monthly newsletter "CF NEWS"
By this date, the writers have selected the topics they want to introduce. When they announce the content, other coders start offering their opinions, such as "Wouldn't this article be better if you did it like this?"
Based on these opinions, the person in charge will compile the content of the article for publication.
Make your own diagrams, change the color and size of the text, etc. Should I make this a table? Or a bulleted list?
After much deliberation over the course of about two weeks, we polished up the content and have now published it in our newsletter.
By the way, back issues are also available on the CF website.
One current CF coder said, "When researching technical information in my previous job, I often looked at methodologies."
If you are interested, click here.
Part 3 3-minute Topics
It's no exaggeration to say that the real action begins here, with everyone taking part in the "3-minute Topics."
The presentations, which are allotted 3 minutes or less, will cover a wide range of topics, from surprising topics that no one knows about, to people boasting about how they implemented JS, to problems that newbies have experienced at least once.
For example, there was a coder who introduced examples of EJS usage in actual projects, tips on HTML5, and other latest web technologies in an easy-to-understand manner using slides and diagrams. On the other hand, there was a person who made everyone laugh by asking questions like, "I get sleepy after lunch...is there any good way to stay awake?" (He was serious about it).
For coders who are usually busy with their own projects, this is a valuable opportunity to express themselves.
Even quiet people suddenly become talkative when it comes to technology and can't stop talking.
If we don't divide the time, it will continue endlessly, so we set a three-minute alarm and each person will announce their topic. However, there were many strong people who didn't stop talking even when the alarm went off. In the end, the leader got angry.
Everyone, make sure to calculate labor hours carefully and complete your work on time.
Measurement was performed for 3 minutes using a smartphone.
An important opportunity for monthly exchange
"I'm working on a similar case right now, and I was able to solve it using the method you mentioned in the last 3-minute topic!"
"This is based on the methodology, but will the results be correct in this case?"
"Why don't you tell everyone about it at the next coder's meeting? I'm sure it will be a big hit."
You can hear these kinds of comments from coders here and there before and after the coder meetings.
I feel that by discussing this and that, a subtle connection is created between the teams, and we are able to build a good relationship that is neither too close nor too far.
I'm not sure, but I'm sure that's what happened, as everyone returns to their work in silence.
Recently, the number of staff has increased, and it takes up a quarter of a day's work, but even though the schedule is a little tight, isn't it well worth it?
This time we introduced the monthly coder meeting.
We look forward to seeing you again next time.
MATSUBARA Megumi