One day, a mechanic is approached by a company. One of the machines on their factory line isn't operating correctly, and they are in dire trouble. So, he goes,

One day, a mechanic is approached by a company. One of the machines on their factory line isn't operating correctly, and they are in dire trouble. So, he goes, examines the machine over about ten minutes, pulls out a hammer and hits the machine. It begins working flawlessly. He tells the company the repair will be $50,000. They are aghast, and demand an invoice. So, the mechanic grabs a piece of paper and writes: Labor, 10 minutes exam and hammer hit: $100 Knowing where to hit the machine: $49,900 Moral of the story: Looking things up is fine if all you need is a walk through the algorithm to implement. Knowing WHAT algorithm to look up and implement is the part you'll get paid for.