garipan
242 天前
To avoid the XY problem in software development, it is important to be clear about the actual problem. The developer should be able to articulate the problem they are trying to solve, and the person trying to help should be able to ask clarifying questions to make sure they understand the problem.
The XY problem obscures the real issues and may even introduce secondary problems that lead to miscommunication, resource mismanagement, and sub-par solutions. The solution for the support personnel is to ask probing questions as to why the information is needed in order to identify the root problem Y and redirect the end user away from an unproductive path of inquiry.