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Survey Results

Where do you do your best problem solving thinking?

Survey period: 4 Nov 2019 to 11 Nov 2019

Some problems can't be brute-forced

OptionVotes% 
While going for a walk or hike28731.40
Lying in bed at 2AM unable to sleep23325.49
In the shower / bath24326.59
Talking it through with colleague, partner, random stranger, pet etc28831.51
While exercising758.21
At my computer30833.70
During meditation475.14
While doing something completely unrelated38942.56
While eating, drinking, or consuming other substances9410.28
Other (please comment)606.56
Respondents were allowed to choose more than one answer; totals may not add up to 100%



 
GeneralLSD Pin
E. Anderson7-Nov-19 10:20
E. Anderson7-Nov-19 10:20 
GeneralWhile trying to avoid doing something I should be doing...... Pin
DaveAuld7-Nov-19 0:00
professionalDaveAuld7-Nov-19 0:00 
Generalwhilst driving Pin
Simon_Whale5-Nov-19 21:30
Simon_Whale5-Nov-19 21:30 
GeneralA longer coffeebreak with collegues Pin
KarstenK5-Nov-19 20:27
mveKarstenK5-Nov-19 20:27 
GeneralWhile trying to solve a different problem Pin
Kaladin5-Nov-19 6:48
Kaladin5-Nov-19 6:48 
GeneralWhile doing some physical activity or resting? Pin
maze35-Nov-19 5:24
professionalmaze35-Nov-19 5:24 
GeneralNeed another option Pin
obermd5-Nov-19 3:23
obermd5-Nov-19 3:23 
GeneralRunning Pin
Gary Wheeler5-Nov-19 2:36
Gary Wheeler5-Nov-19 2:36 
GeneralDocumenting what the solution is going to look like Pin
kalberts5-Nov-19 1:49
kalberts5-Nov-19 1:49 
I often start writing the system documentation as soon as the architecture is starting to take shape. This is sort of rubber ducking, describing to some imaginary future software maintainer the overall structure of the system, then going into the interfaces and information flow between the modules, first at a high level, gradually moving down to specific interfaces ready to be coded in one language or another.

When the design is shaping up, it goes in parallel with writing the user documentation (which may be a user of an interactive UI, or the user of some external programming/communication interface), with a number of case studies to show how to solve user tasks. Again, I start at a general, somewhat abastract level, usually textual description only (much faster to change than graphics!), continuing to specific descriptions of (say) each GUI screen with its input and output fields, and as soon as possible thereafter, I generate screen dumps for the documentation, to verify that everything written in text matches the acutal screen dups - no controls missing neither from the screen dump nor from the text. For programming interfaces, the screen dumps are replaced by application code stubs.

Most developers delay most of all documentation "until they know what the system will look like". I can assure you: Doing the case studies, application code samples and interface definitions before you start coding, you will always run into situations where you discover that there are better ways to do things. Or more often: That some cases are very cumbersome to to with your first proposed solution. You realize that there are issues where you have noe solution at all. When you develop that partial solution, you discover that a refactoring will be required - before you have implemented anything to refactor.

It is sort of formalized rubber ducking. But if you just talk the rubber duck, or to humans, you still have to do the documentation afterwards Smile | :) . And you rarely get into detailed case studies where you detect unsolved problems, missing or superfluous data. You discover a lot more by writing/drawing than by just informal chatting.
GeneralWhile Watching Marvel Movies Pin
Edward Quixote4-Nov-19 22:56
professionalEdward Quixote4-Nov-19 22:56 
GeneralMost popular option is missing : "Washroom" Pin
Hemant Singh Rautela4-Nov-19 21:16
professionalHemant Singh Rautela4-Nov-19 21:16 
Generalall are valid Pin
Nelek4-Nov-19 11:03
protectorNelek4-Nov-19 11:03 
GeneralWalking Pin
Ron Anders4-Nov-19 7:00
Ron Anders4-Nov-19 7:00 
GeneralWhile Sleeping PinPopular
Scott Serl4-Nov-19 5:54
Scott Serl4-Nov-19 5:54 
GeneralRe: While Sleeping Pin
DerekT-P5-Nov-19 3:22
professionalDerekT-P5-Nov-19 3:22 
GeneralRe: While Sleeping Pin
Bernhard Hiller5-Nov-19 20:57
Bernhard Hiller5-Nov-19 20:57 
GeneralRe: While Sleeping Pin
Eddy Vluggen7-Nov-19 21:21
professionalEddy Vluggen7-Nov-19 21:21 
Generala special part of my brain works in parallel constantly Pin
u-li4-Nov-19 5:04
u-li4-Nov-19 5:04 
Generallight bulb coming on Pin
MarcusCole68334-Nov-19 4:25
professionalMarcusCole68334-Nov-19 4:25 
General"Other" - please comment Pin
Marc Clifton4-Nov-19 2:13
mvaMarc Clifton4-Nov-19 2:13 
GeneralRe: "Other" - please comment Pin
Bassam Abdul-Baki4-Nov-19 3:05
professionalBassam Abdul-Baki4-Nov-19 3:05 
GeneralNobody answered "Rubber ducking"? Pin
Johnny J.3-Nov-19 20:48
professionalJohnny J.3-Nov-19 20:48 
GeneralRe: Nobody answered "Rubber ducking"? Pin
Slacker0073-Nov-19 21:09
professionalSlacker0073-Nov-19 21:09 
GeneralRe: Nobody answered "Rubber ducking"? Pin
den2k883-Nov-19 22:02
professionalden2k883-Nov-19 22:02 
GeneralRe: Nobody answered "Rubber ducking"? PinPopular
RJOberg4-Nov-19 3:34
professionalRJOberg4-Nov-19 3:34 

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