[keyP]

I think this is partly why Rubber Duck Debugging[1] can sometimes work, especially if you're vocalising the steps. I've often started typing a question on Stackoverflow when suddenly I solved the issue just by the act of verbalising the question as I type.

I've found this to also help when I'm doing any sort of creative work or brainstorming, simply talking and explaining as if I'm presenting to an audience helps me generate ideas. Never spoken out loud to myself in public though...

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging

[lttlrck]

the shift from a asynchronous communications (email) to real-time chat (slack/teams) may have led to a significant reduction in "thinking things through"

Writing an email or a SO question has a pretty significant upfront investment and requires clearer articulation, whereas real-time chat seems to lead to shallow enquiry.

In other words with real-time chat, the recipient has become the rubber duck.

[tharkun__]

Absolutely. I don't personally use a rubber duck when alone but we call it that in the team when you just wave someone over to your desk to talk something over (and now virtually in a quick call).

I personally have always liked writing down my "conclusions" so far into an evolving comment on a defect/bug ticket, which I only actually submit at the end when I've found the real issue. In the end you have a nice explanation of what exactly and why it went wrong and it helps with the actual debugging/thinking it through. And it also helps with the inevitable comments/questions in the PR when people wonder why the hell you are making the change you're making and you have something refer back to.