Comments on: How to Debug Your Brain http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:32:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Justin http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-378529 Justin Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:56:13 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/#comment-378529 hmm...where to start? -working hard will get me lots of money hmm…where to start?

-working hard will get me lots of money

]]> By: Scott Young http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-80811 Scott Young Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:58:58 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/#comment-80811 Jay, Good point. Debugging the framework might be required... -Scott Jay,

Good point. Debugging the framework might be required…

-Scott

]]> By: Bart http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-76197 Bart Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:20:05 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/#comment-76197 I'm glad you wrote this. It seems obvious that people would somehow evaluate their lives like this, but few do it. I think it is challenging to escape current belief systems, because I view data with colored glasses, mistakenly attributing some effect to an erroneous cause. What do think would be the most difficult part in effective debugging? I’m glad you wrote this. It seems obvious that people would somehow evaluate their lives like this, but few do it.

I think it is challenging to escape current belief systems, because I view data with colored glasses, mistakenly attributing some effect to an erroneous cause.

What do think would be the most difficult part in effective debugging?

]]> By: addy http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-75961 addy Fri, 09 Nov 2007 13:33:24 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/#comment-75961 It's amazing how on the spot your posts are, for me at least. I need to go back and look for bugs in my own theories and life in general. I'm taking a programming class, but never thought to think in terms of programming before (at least in relation to life). It’s amazing how on the spot your posts are, for me at least. I need to go back and look for bugs in my own theories and life in general. I’m taking a programming class, but never thought to think in terms of programming before (at least in relation to life).

]]> By: mike http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-75449 mike Fri, 09 Nov 2007 01:51:08 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/#comment-75449 Great article . . . got me thinking about some of my own buggy theories Great article . . . got me thinking about some of my own buggy theories

]]> By: Kali http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-75447 Kali Fri, 09 Nov 2007 01:41:39 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/#comment-75447 Cool post. Cool post.

]]> By: Jay Andrew Allen http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-74998 Jay Andrew Allen Thu, 08 Nov 2007 14:21:24 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/08/how-to-debug-your-brain/#comment-74998 "I know few self-respecting programmers who would claim the computer is wrong and that the code is perfect. This is nonsense, the problem lies with bugs in the program, not the machine that runs it." True much of the time, but not always. Any modern program uses a complex array of programmatic APIs provided by the operating system, your application framework (e.g., a Web development environment like PHP or ASP.NET), and a set of independent libraries and components. Your code may be perfectly fine - but SOMEONE ELSE'S code may be broken. I ran into just such a problem recently developing a C++ plugin for Internet Explorer. A critical method call didn't work as advertised (it threw access violations on repeat calls). My code was perfectly fine; Microsoft's code was broken. Sometimes it's not just enough to debug your own theories; you have to debug the framework, too. “I know few self-respecting programmers who would claim the computer is wrong and that the code is perfect. This is nonsense, the problem lies with bugs in the program, not the machine that runs it.”

True much of the time, but not always. Any modern program uses a complex array of programmatic APIs provided by the operating system, your application framework (e.g., a Web development environment like PHP or ASP.NET), and a set of independent libraries and components. Your code may be perfectly fine – but SOMEONE ELSE’S code may be broken. I ran into just such a problem recently developing a C++ plugin for Internet Explorer. A critical method call didn’t work as advertised (it threw access violations on repeat calls). My code was perfectly fine; Microsoft’s code was broken.

Sometimes it’s not just enough to debug your own theories; you have to debug the framework, too.

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