OOTS #1071 - The Discussion Thread

[Grey_Wolf_c]

So youre saying that performing diagnostics and then attempting solutions based on the results of those diagnostics in decreasing probability of success is a bad way to go about fixing things?

No, I'm saying that trial and error is much, much more broad a concept than what you are describing. As per the definition quoted earlier: "the trying of one thing or another until something succeeds" does not imply, or necessitate, diagnosis. It is more likely to make things worse than to fix them, because all things being equal, a change to a mostly functioning process is more likely to make it less effective than more.

ETA: it's like saying "percussive maintenance works... as long as you know precisely what hammer to use and which spot to hit, and never miss". Sure, but that is a sub-sub-subset of all methods of approaching a problem that can be described as "percussive maintenance". Equally, while I could agree that very careful diagnosis, followed by a controlled environment testing and identification and isolation of errors can be described as "trial and error", so can "just remove and replace parts of the engine until the engine stops smoking".

ETA2: and I'll add that, given that in the comic it is being compared to trying all the valleys in an uncharted mountain range to look for an exit, I think it is quite clear that Andi meant it more in my general "just try stuff randomly and blindly until it works" than you "carefully isolate the problem" sense.

Grey Wolf