# Solution vs. clue

2018-03-17

> That’s when you have to watch out and resist the temptation to take code that works for code that’s good. What you’ve found on Stack Overflow is - in all but the rarest cases - not a solution but rather a clue. It can certainly make for a great pointer, but it was not written with your exact problem / requirements / constraints /code base / application in mind. And sometimes, it might simply be a dirty hack.

> Embrace Stack Overflow as a good source of guidance for certain problems. But also take the time to thoroughly and honestly evaluate if you’ve found a real, solid solution.

> Our Development Philosophy (1): Architecture, Design Patterns and Programming Principles (cache)

Pretty well stated by the Tower team. Stack Overflow makes you find leads faster, but the solution is up-to-you and that’s part of the beauty of that job :-).

Make sure to check out the second part too (cache), as writing code is only the first step of a long path.

Other articles in English: On caching links, Bushcraft retrospective, Into the Raft, Into the Bugs, Meritocracy crisis, The Seller, the Teacher and the Wise, Into the Good, Into the Mice, Into the Camp, Into the Wind, Into the Snow, Into the Cold, Async Python Frameworks, Distributed teams, Into the Wild, Without JavaScript, Inclusive Python, Micro-cultures and governance, Resilient Web and Tools, Bitcoin and energy, Team building, Inclusive developer, Cultural Intimacy, Tools and teams, Senior developer, Slow Data, Inclusive communities, Delivery and value(s), Collaboration debt, Communities and leadership, Specifications and APIs. Oh, and most of the 2018 thoughts.