Help pattern authors with Context + Forces

[spier]

Pattern authors often struggle with filling in the Context + Forces sections of our pattern template.

Could we give them more guidance on how to fill in Context + Forces?

@NewMexicoKid you are dropping nuggets of wisdom about these sections in your reviews sometimes (as in the example below). Could you help us extend the pattern template with further instructions, especially around these two sections?

Example of "nuggets of wisdom"

Whenever possible, forces should be stated in a way that indicates the trade-offs (which can hint at the levers by which one can react to a given force).

So if Product Owners are reluctant to be more collaborative and transparent, what is motivating them to do so? (Is it a cultural tendency to secrecy to protect proprietary information to gain a strategic advantage? If so, then is it a matter of noting which information needs to be protected vs. which info, when shared, can result in compensating advantages?)

Originally posted by @NewMexicoKid in #417 (comment)

[NewMexicoKid]

I'll take a look at the pattern template to see if might be improved.
Another thought I had was to see if I can get Bob Hanmer (the real patterns expert) to do a live session to review a few of the newer patterns and give feedback on them. Do you think that some of the new pattern authors would be interested in that?

[spier]

Thanks! I think that adding properties of good things to list in Context/Forces, as well as examples like the one above would be super helpful for authors.

Also a joined session with Bob Hanmer would be great. Probably something we could organize after summer, so maybe in August/September?

[spier]

hi @NewMexicoKid. Just wanted to see if you were able to spend some time on this topic?

[NewMexicoKid]

Sorry for the delays--lots of real life interruptions, alas. I'll look into this.

[spier]

@NewMexicoKid today I was thinking that as a first step we could make it easier for pattern authors to "learn by example".

For that we could:

• go through the section in the pattern template
• for each section, identify at least one existing patterns where that section is "especially well written"
• add a link from the template section to the "especially well written" pattern section

While that does not remove the need for more explanations in the pattern template, making learning by example easier might be a good start?