Manifesto 21
May 2023

Critical thinking about google results

As software engineers, we rely heavily on Google search to help us solve complex programming problems. While Google search can be an incredibly useful tool, it is important to approach it with a critical eye and a discerning mind. We must always be mindful of the fact that not all information found through a search is accurate or reliable, and that blindly following incorrect information or solutions can have serious consequences. That is where we software engineers come into play. With our vast knowledge of general programming we can discard each invalid, non scalable solution, fine picking only the best ones.

Therefore, we, as software engineers, must embrace critical thinking as a fundamental aspect of our daily workflow when using Google search. We must question the validity and reliability of the information we find, and always seek out multiple sources to verify and cross-check our findings. We must also strive to understand the underlying principles and concepts behind the information we find, rather than simply copying and pasting code snippets or solutions. We must often edit certain snippets, making them our own, and in the process vastly improving the outcomes performance.

At the same time, we must be willing to ignore wrong information and solutions that we come across during our search. We must recognize that there are many sources of misinformation and misguided advice on the internet, and that blindly following such information can have serious consequences for our work and our clients. Instead, we must focus on finding accurate and reliable information, and not be swayed by flashy or sensational solutions that may be incorrect or incomplete. By checking found solution against the documentation, we are able to find the right way to implement a solution.

To achieve these goals, we commit to the following principles:

  1. We will approach Google search with a critical eye, always questioning the validity and reliability of the information we find.
  2. We will seek out multiple sources to verify and cross-check our findings, and strive to understand the underlying principles and concepts behind the information we find.
  3. We will be willing to ignore wrong information and solutions, recognizing that blindly following such information can have serious consequences.
  4. We will prioritize accuracy and reliability over flashy or sensational solutions, and always keep the best interests of our clients and our work in mind.
  5. We will actively seek out opportunities to learn and improve our critical thinking skills, and share our knowledge and experiences with our colleagues to foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

That is the main reason why critical thinking is a software engineers core skill. Without it we wouldn’t be able to perform our daily jobs. By embracing critical thinking and ignoring wrong information in our daily workflow as software engineers using Google search, we can ensure that we are always working towards the best possible solutions for our clients and our work. We commit to upholding these principles and striving for excellence in all that we do.

A robotic steampunk owl, with dangerous, knowledgeable and serious look sitting and guarding a ancient chest full of knowledge. On chest there is a standard looking google search bar. There is a text on the illustration saying unlocking coding success.

About Illustration

For hero of this illustration we’ve decided to go with serious owl. We’ve figured if anything, search engines represent the vastest knowledge humanity has acquired. However, that vast amount of knowledge is also stored inside countless machines, so we’ve made our owl a robotic character.

Our robotic owl is sitting on a chest. Guarding it. It is because we usually don’t know, and most certainly, don’t have the time, to check each search result. We don’t know what is search engine hiding from us, nor the exact algorithms it uses to display the first results on its search page. There is simply that intangible feeling of trust between us, its users, and a search engine. We trust him that he’ll give us correct results, and as a cost we agree to some amount of ads.

In the end, there is our punchline: “Unlocking coding success”. Most of us, learned to code, with a help from our search engines. It has allowed us to unlock our coding skills. To learn vast amounts of knowledge regarding best practices. Without it we wouldn’t be as good engineers as we are today.

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