We developers love StackOverflow. Life as a developer would have been so hard without it. I know it has saved you many times as it has saved me over the years.

But, be a bit careful while using the solutions from stack overflow directly.

Take the following points into consideration while using solutions from it.

1. The time when the question was answered

Being in tech, things change at a drastic rate. The time when the question was answered is very important because the solution might have been the best back in say, 2015 according to the tech stack at that time.

But maybe in 2020 or 2021, a better solution could exist with improvements in the tech stack and new versions. The solution in 2015 and 2020 or 2021 could be significantly different.

2. Accepted answers are not always the best ones

Don't think that the accepted answer is the best one. No, it does work that way. Maybe, the unaccepted answer could be more good and optimal. This could happen because the better answer was posted after the accepted answer.
So, the next time you are on StackOverflow, don't just copy the accepted answer.
Spend time scrolling through all the answers.

3. Some comments are GOLD

Some comments just below the answers tell you more than the answer itself. It could be right from correcting the answer to pointing out why we should not use it. Sometimes, the comments explain the code better than the original author. Look out for such comments, they are life-saving.

4. Do not downvote, if you did not understand the answer

Don't just downvote someone because a lot of other people have. It's very easy to put someone down. Only downvote if you understand the shortcomings of the code or if you know the potential side effects it could have.

5. Be responsible while answering

Don't blindly answer questions! You need to be responsible enough to tell the good points, bad points, better solutions (if exists), and justify why you are giving this as an answer.

Thank you for reading.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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