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Solving Difficult Questions with Simple Answers

Common Sense Programming

Posted on Mar 12, 2007


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The ability to solve increasingly difficult problems through simple means is a trait that all web developers should cultivate. 

I absolutely love creative people, those that have an ability to think outside the box. Those who can take an extremely difficult problem and solve it with a very simple answer.

I saw this image and had to post it, because it portrays this idea perfectly.

Think outside the box

Now I'm not advocating the destruction of United States currency. I am advocating the use of common sense. I have a friend, Jared, that is absolutely amazing when it comes to common sense. I worked with him for a while when I lived in Korea.

There were countless times where I would come up with what seemed to be an extremely difficult problem, but every time he would say, "Well why don't we do [simple answer to terribly difficult question] then." I would just look at him and think to myself, wow... that would work. (just like drilling a hole through the penny).

Unfortunately there isn't a school for common sense. You either have it or you don't. The same can be said of good programmers. Good programmers can see and understand the "whole picture". You can't be told how to "understand" a project, you just have to have cultivate the ability to take a complex problem and break it down into its simple components. Working with and studying the methods of people that have this ability to "understand" can help you learn little by little how to do what they do instinctively. Study other people's code. See what they do well and what you would change to make it better. Always keep learning. 

So the next time you come across a problem that leaves you scratching your head, see if there is a simple answer that you simply overlooked. 

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Filed Under: Questions, Programming, Difficult Questions, Website Design
 
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"Solving Difficult Questions with Simple Answers"

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Comments

1

John Wesley Mar 16, 2007

That is a very clever photo and it does a good job explaining the value of commonsense.

 

2

Chris Wisinski Mar 28, 2007

Your photo above is very inspiring. This should be sent to the US government. Especially since they spend more than 1 penny just to make a penny. Even without a hole!

 

3

AHFXStudios Mar 28, 2007

Chris, the thing I find quite amusing about the idea of "it costs more to make a penny" is that you don´t hear people complaining, "it doesn´t take $100 worth of materials to make a $100 dollar bill." I personally don´t care if it costs more, they make it up in the other bills.

 

4

Will Atkin Mar 29, 2007

You´re completely right, unfortunately there is no common sense school, and common sense really can´t be taught. That may be a little discouraging to the programmer or designer with absolutely no common sense though.

 

5

Shaina Jun 28, 2007

I have seen your blog and its really very great

 

6

kathleen Jun 29, 2007

Solving Difficult Questions with Simple Answers.or simplistic ones?

I get your point but the photo is a poor example. In real life, the metals in "copper" pennies costs more than the material used in the "non-ferrous metal washers" (couldn´t you have said "aluminum"?). More importantly, the photo on the bottom is an inaccurate cost. It shows a drilled out penny but NOT THE VALUE of the work needed to get the thing drilled out. Not exactly a fair comparative if the example above does illustrate the value of the washer. But I get your point. If you´re in a crisis and need a washer, grab a penny (not a bad source of needed scrap metal in certain circumstances) if you have the means to process it, creating a hole. Personally, I´m lucky to find the right size drill bit. Drill bits have peculiar behaviors and tend to wander off. Either that or all of mine have run away from home, particularly in the smaller sizes.