4 ms·

One expression of this that I hear from newer devs (and clients) sometimes is "Can't we just...?" and what it really means is "I don't understand", but in a mor

One expression of this that I hear from newer devs (and clients) sometimes is "Can't we just...?" and what it really means is "I don't understand", but in a more socially safe way. If I address the question as if it were "what am I missing that makes this seemingly simple solution not viable?" it usually addresses the question and spreads better understanding. I also find that if someone is having trouble understanding my design, it is only rarely a lack of understanding on their part, and more often a lack of good design and good communication of that design on my part. "I don't understand" is a cue to try to make your architecture, design, and code more understandable.

magic_haze 14y ago
I've been dealing with this exact experience the last couple of weeks, after being asked to take ownership of a huge codebase. From what I've noticed though, saying "I don't understand" usually triggers a more detailed explanation of the existing design, leaving out the "why" part unanswered, and ending with me still completely baffled. I've had to resort more often to "Can't we just..." type questions, and while that elicits a more useful answer that makes everything click into place, I'm afraid of looking like an asshole who thinks he knows the answer to everything. Isn't there some compromise between these two styles?
- jacktoole1 14y ago
  I've been trying to use something closer to ColinDabritz's second wording: "What am I missing that makes ____ unreasonable?" or "I don't understand why ____ wouldn't work". Phrasing it like this hopefully conveys both that I'm aware that there's a gap in my understanding of the problem, not our solution to the problem, but still elicits a response more directed at my particular understanding. It's also easier for me to formulate what I don't understand as "here's what seems obvious, why is the solution different?" than "I don't understand this particular aspect", since I don't know the part of the solution to ask about.
- mikeash 14y ago
  I usually go for something along the lines of, "I'm probably missing something, but it seems to me like it ought to be doing X here instead of Y. Is there a reason it's Y?"

magic_haze 14y ago

I've been dealing with this exact experience the last couple of weeks, after being asked to take ownership of a huge codebase. From what I've noticed though, saying "I don't understand" usually triggers a more detailed explanation of the existing design, leaving out the "why" part unanswered, and ending with me still completely baffled. I've had to resort more often to "Can't we just..." type questions, and while that elicits a more useful answer that makes everything click into place, I'm afraid of looking like an asshole who thinks he knows the answer to everything. Isn't there some compromise between these two styles?

jacktoole1 14y ago
I've been trying to use something closer to ColinDabritz's second wording: "What am I missing that makes ____ unreasonable?" or "I don't understand why ____ wouldn't work". Phrasing it like this hopefully conveys both that I'm aware that there's a gap in my understanding of the problem, not our solution to the problem, but still elicits a response more directed at my particular understanding. It's also easier for me to formulate what I don't understand as "here's what seems obvious, why is the solution different?" than "I don't understand this particular aspect", since I don't know the part of the solution to ask about.
mikeash 14y ago
I usually go for something along the lines of, "I'm probably missing something, but it seems to me like it ought to be doing X here instead of Y. Is there a reason it's Y?"