# Debugging Techniques and Expectations for Programming Questions

DevFeed: [Debugging Techniques and Expectations for Programming Questions](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/strange-and-maddening-rules-37526.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2018/04/23/strange-and-maddening-rules/>)

Author: Joel Spolsky

Published: 2018-04-23T14:42:45Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Joel Spolsky](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/joel-spolsky.md>)

Topics: [debugging](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/debugging.md>), [Stack Overflow](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/stackoverflow.md>), [C](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/c.md>)

Tags: [debugging](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/debugging.md>), [news](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/news.md>), [stack-overflow](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/stack-overflow.md>)

## AI overview

The article discusses rubber-duck debugging and divide-and-conquer debugging, then relates them to writing concise, self-contained programming questions. It also introduces a debate about whether Stack Overflow should accommodate programming novices.

## Source excerpt

There's this popular idea among developers that when you face a problem with code, you should get out a rubber duck and explain, to the duck, exactly how your code was supposed to work. Read more "Strange and maddening rules"