[Tutor] Tutor list as pair progamming plush toy

[Hansen, Mike]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tutor-bounces+mike.hansen=atmel.com at python.org 
> [mailto:tutor-bounces+mike.hansen=atmel.com at python.org] On 
> Behalf Of Mac Ryan
> Sent: Friday, February 12, 2010 8:33 AM
> To: tutor at python.org
> Subject: [Tutor] Tutor list as pair progamming plush toy
> 
> Have you ever got that piece of advice about - when you have 
> stuck on a
> bug you seem unable to track - getting a plush toy to whom you explain
> your code? (This is of course a workaround if you do not have a fellow
> developer to help you out).
> 
> Well... I found out this advice kind of works for me, with the notable
> difference that my plush toy is this mailing list. It works so
> wonderfully that indeed is several months I do not post any message:
> whenever I get stuck, I begin to write a message to the list, 
> and in the
> process of explaining what is the intended behaviour and outcome of my
> code, I systematically find the bug by myself.
> 
> I know - this is slightly OT for the list - but I thought to share as
> maybe this is a "hidden benefit" the list is bringing to a few people
> without the tutors even knowing it.
> 
> Does anybody else experience the same?
> 
> Cheers, :)
> Mac.
>

This kind of sounds like the rubber duck method of debugging. 

http://lists.ethernal.org/oldarchives/cantlug-0211/msg00174.html

Mike