Software Developers should do Whiteboarding

If you're wondering why I put up a whiteboard in my workstation, it's because when dealing with computers, sometimes you can no longer paint the whole picture of what you're really trying to achieve. Probably that's the very reason why we have the sayings

"The palest ink is better than the sharpest memory."

and

"A picture paints a thousand words."

Even movies about the huge technology companies depict the use of whiteboarding. Below are the companies and the respective movies that pointed out the importance of whiteboarding.

1. Microsoft - Pirates of Silicon Valley

   

   Bill Gates writing on whiteboard
   
   Courtesy of Turner Network Television
   Screenshot from the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley

2. Apple Computer - Jobs

   

   Steve Jobs planning with the use of whiteboard
   
   Courtesy of Open Road Films
   Screenshot from the movie Jobs

3. Facebook - The Social Network

   

   Eduardo Saverin & Mark Zuckerberg working on a ranking formula
   
   Coutesy of Columbia Pictures
   Screenshot from the movie The Social Network

4. Google - The Internship

   

   Interns at Google using glasses as whiteboards
   
   Courtesy of 20^th Century Fox
   Screenshot from the movie The Internship

So, if you usually forget some of the details about your task, I think it would be great if you can paint it somewhere to visualize what you're trying to achieve.