People think programming is this pure kind of logical thinking, when it's mostly 99% banging your head against a wall until the wall gives

@codinghorror thanks for sharing Jeff Atwood, have a great Saturday :) (Want this FREE? >> bit.ly/tweet_thanks)

@codinghorror haha so true.

@codinghorror Troubleshooting is 80% of programming. Being able to view it from all sides is key. Looking at things with gestalt, to me, is the best predictor of programming success. It's not intelligence, it's not persistence, it's not passion.

@codinghorror Sometimes you need to step away from the wall to see the door.

@codinghorror "OK, I'll try x - 1 then."

@codinghorror Yes, but that 1% is all about logical thinking, planning how best to bang your head against which wall.

@codinghorror it's a lot like arguing with your friend that is also the most logical person you've ever met

@codinghorror Maybe 50%. The other times, your head gives, but we call it “reducing scope”.

@codinghorror and expert usage of search in stackoverflow?

@codinghorror programming is like "writing a story" before you finished learning all the alphabet

@codinghorror or until your product manager reprioritizes the wall

@codinghorror but that last 1% is pure unbridled beautiful logic.

@codinghorror or until it starts to feel good

@codinghorror wall never gives, you just find ideal angle for your head to make best dent

@codinghorror or you find where you missed a ' or a ;

@codinghorror I bang my head against walls in THE MOST LOGICAL MANNER POSSIBLE

@codinghorror it's all good until you realize the sales promised the customer another wall on the opposite site.

@codinghorror Not when you write in Haskell ;) It's mostly a puzzle to match up the types correctly... hardly done by trial and error.

@codinghorror I guess there's still hope for the rest of us illogical thinkers!

@codinghorror Dostoevsky "...but I am not going to be reconciled to it simply because it is a stone wall and I have not the strength"

@codinghorror And when the wall doesn't give, you design a way around it and pretend it doesn't exist.

@codinghorror You should be able to stare at your fingers; if boss passes by & asks, shouldn’t you be programming, you reply ‘I am’ #Spock

@codinghorror Rough day?

@codinghorror @kfalconspb 99% banging head against poorly documented API, looking at you win32!

Jeff Atwood @codinghorror

10 years ago

@codinghorror @kfalconspb 99% banging head against poorly documented API, looking at you win32!

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@codinghorror but where, finding the right wall, and how, head banging skills, matters.

@codinghorror and then your head is stuck in it and you have to call the fire department

@codinghorror @Gortok Larry Wall does not approve of this post ^

@codinghorror the wall has been banging against my head all day

@codinghorror Thanks for developing every day. I'm also using,. What do you think about this and Could you fix this problem? meta.discourse.org/t/integrate-di…

@codinghorror Everyone can relate 😂

@codinghorror ...bad day at work, I assume? 'Cos if this is really how you dev, that's not good.

@codinghorror Sometime you bang your head against the wall long enough that you ask someone and they tell you where the door is.

@codinghorror 1% inspiration and 99% desperation

@codinghorror You forgot the whole "give up-try again-want to kill yourself-refuse to believe stuff is actually this fucked up - accept it and go back to banging head to wall".

@stebets @codinghorror or programming something that works, but you have no idea how or why...

@codinghorror @ygrenzinger you say it like it couldn't be both at the same time ;)