3 ms·

It's quite funny, the number of replies in this thread saying: "No, I really do need Y because I'm special!" Just remember where you are. The XY problem is a f

• zamadatix 7y ago
  I think the article focuses on the real disconnect in it's explanation of the problem. The disconnect being that the step "Others try to help user with Y, but are confused because Y seems like a strange problem to want to solve." is just one extreme in the scenario with the other being "Others ask what it is you're trying to solve instead of talking about the question". For most questions of the nature each extreme is normally a horrible way to approach it. Something like "You can do it via <method> but there might be a cleaner way to do things depending on what you are trying to accomplish in the end" such as the examples in the page goes miles ahead in being helpful and reduces the overall amount of back-and-forth. This doesn't get a fancy label to reference and articles written about it though as that's just known as a "conversation".