The Problem with "Extreme Programming"

I'm not a fan of "eXtreme Programming."

To be fair, I don't think I've ever seen a TRUE implementation of "eXtreme Programming." What I've seen are shops where a manager (who isn't a programmer) has given his/her team of programmers total free rein because they can't be bothered to learn enough about the field to understand what is going on around them-- and the programmers are doing whatever they want (e.g. adding "cool features" that aren't in the spec), or not doing whatever they don't like (e.g. updating documentation)-- and then burying the mess by insisting they are using "eXtreme Programming" practices.

Let me put it this way-- a drug addict isn't a "gonzo journalist" just because they say they are. They have to actually get published on a regular basis first.