tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post7322797601068215362..comments2023-08-25T01:48:07.020-06:00Comments on BeStoked: A Term Every Programmer Should Know: Blue BabyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-64653377152037867642012-06-29T23:13:49.649-06:002012-06-29T23:13:49.649-06:00Nice! Thanks Wolski. I loved the it's easier &...Nice! Thanks Wolski. I loved the it's easier "than debugging with an eye of newt and the dust of a frog's ear."<br /><br />I need to read that (and many other books) on programming. Even though I have a CSE degree, I feel self-taught sometimes since I haven't read some classic programming books.<br /><br />The language he uses here fits so well with the Blue Baby term:<br />"Stabilize the Error: If you can't make a defect occur reliably, it's almost impossible to diagnose. Making an intermittent defect occur predictably is one of the most challenging tasks in debugging." He also mentions "controlled conditions" later in the post.<br /><br />Great read. One of the challenges for me is the "Set a maximum time for quick and dirty debugging." part. As a high D programmer, I often like to fire all guns at a problem and hope for a quick win. That often leads to ASSumptions and partial solutions. I try to balance that with overall productivity which... sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. Sometimes I'm making great progress, but going no where (or is that "now here"?)Luke Stokeshttp://bestoked.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-54853611476597434232012-06-29T22:05:29.698-06:002012-06-29T22:05:29.698-06:00Reminds me of http://www.stevemcconnell.com/ccdebu...Reminds me of http://www.stevemcconnell.com/ccdebug.htmJon Wolskinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-38764528909648052182012-06-29T22:01:48.927-06:002012-06-29T22:01:48.927-06:00Oh, man... I hadn't thought about it from that...Oh, man... I hadn't thought about it from that perspective. When I watched the movie, I was viewing this as something that was forever solved. Is the blue baby syndrome something that still happens today? I just Googled a bit and came up with a couple articles, one saying the last known case in the UK was 1972, another saying there have been no known deaths in Europe or North America in the last 50 years.<br /><br />The fact that the term is connected to something so emotional (and, as I saw it, something that has forever been solved) is what drew me to the idea. It's also why I enjoy the movie so much. They saved these baby's lives! That, to me, is super awesome! To get that awesome, they had to reproduce the problem in a controlled way.<br /><br />From a doula/midwife perspective, I can understand how any reference to a baby disease would be offensive and distasteful, but I was looking at it more from a "this is how they solved something so terrible" perspective.<br /><br />As for finding the smoking gun, I like it! It doesn't carry the same emotional connection though.. and when I think about the detective movies I've seen, they just don't grab me the same way this one does. Sure, we have to stop the bad guy before he murders someone else... but we're saving babies here!<br /><br />Either way, thanks for the comment. If it's offensive, it probably won't be picked up by the masses (nor would I want it to). But, if it can be seen as a way to solve a once terrible problem, I think it can still work.<br /><br />Just my opinion though. :)Luke Stokeshttp://bestoked.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-15213293086552484882012-06-29T10:44:52.807-06:002012-06-29T10:44:52.807-06:00I much prefer "[finding] the smoking gun.&quo...I much prefer "[finding] the smoking gun." More of a detective / noir term and getting hard bugs to actually happen is usually a lot of detective work — tests, hacks, hunches, scientific wild-ass guesses. And once it's there, BAM, mystery solved, we've got the evidence needed to throw this bug in jail.<br /><br />Terms that have the connotation of neonatal illness and death are not ones I like to throw around. My wife is a midwife and a doula.Fred Algerhttp://twitter.com/_phrednoreply@blogger.com