An Exploratory Study of Live-Streamed Programming
This work addresses the problem of understanding and improving live-streamed programming for developers, but it is incremental as it builds on existing knowledge of collaborative programming practices.
The study investigated live-streamed programming by analyzing 20 hours of videos and surveying 7 streamers, finding it shares benefits with pair programming but differs in streamer-watcher dynamics, with streamers motivated by knowledge sharing and socializing but facing tool limitations and engagement challenges.
In live-streamed programming, developers broadcast their development work on open source projects using streaming media such as YouTube or Twitch. Sessions are first announced by a developer acting as the streamer, inviting other developers to join and interact as watchers using chat. To better understand the characteristics, motivations, and challenges in live-streamed programming, we analyzed 20 hours of live-streamed programming videos and surveyed 7 streamers about their experiences. The results reveal that live-streamed programming shares some of the characteristics and benefits of pair programming, but differs in the nature of the relationship between the streamer and watchers. We also found that streamers are motivated by knowledge sharing, socializing, and building an online identity, but face challenges with tool limitations and maintaining engagement with watchers. We discuss the implications of these findings, identify limitations with current tools, and propose design recommendations for new forms of tools to better supporting live-streamed programming.