Yeah, for every StackOverflow question I ask, there are several that I start formulating and then discard, as merely putting thoughts into words leads to new insights.
Also I use paper a lot for solving problems and making decisions. Simply write everything down as if I was explaining the thought process to someone. Writing it down helps the same way as with SO questions, but also extends my very limited "immediate memory" (similarly as with arithemtic operations in head / on paper)
yup StackOverflow is awesome, especially for the reason that you meant. In order to not look like an idiot, I do a bunch of research and try to cover my t's so that it is actually a decent question, and usually by the end of writing up the question, I have found my solution. Stackoverflow is the best resource I have, working on my own now.
Also I use paper a lot for solving problems and making decisions. Simply write everything down as if I was explaining the thought process to someone. Writing it down helps the same way as with SO questions, but also extends my very limited "immediate memory" (similarly as with arithemtic operations in head / on paper)