Collaboration OVER Documentation...

Triggered by this good post by Fabien at the Server-Side Pad...

Folks... the Agile Manifesto does NOT say that we should throw documentation out the window.
Similarly, it does NOT say that collaboration REPLACES documentation.

Fabien's points are important since both of these misconceptions are common in newly transitioned agile environments. Teams seem to forget that anyone on their team can be pulled off at any moment and replaced with someone else. If enough of this happens, then their tests, code, and DOCUMENTATION are the only thing left after they are gone.

Part of my comment left on Fabien's post:

The manifesto clearly states that documentation is valued, but conversation is valued more. (Hence your important qualifier is already built in, people just overlook it!) What they were really trying to combat was the old-school philosophy of writing a set of requirements, believing it was done and pitching it. This lack of review and collaborative thought always led to a breakdown and finger pointing somewhere later in the process.