[Haskell-cafe] Doing people's homework?

[Curt Sampson]

On 2009-09-29 13:47 +0100 (Tue), Iain Barnett wrote:

> So, if I was trying to come up with a solution to a problem that  
> possibly has multiple solutions, like building an engine for a car, I  
> would do better if I hadn't seen a (well crafted) working engine by  
> someone else than if I had?

Yes, because the work you'd done thinking about it would give you a
better understanding of the problem, even if the answer you'd come up
with was completely wrong.

That said, learning from the good example afterwards is without question
extremely valuable.

> If effort is there, then give me the example any time, because insight 
> will be quicker.

Actually, I find that for many problems there is no quick insight. The
true understanding of the problem comes with struggling with it, rather
than mastering it.

cjs
-- 
Curt Sampson       <cjs at starling-software.com>        +81 90 7737 2974
           Functional programming in all senses of the word:
                   http://www.starling-software.com