[ntpeters]

As someone else said, copy/pasting from websites isn't going to help you learn anything. Likewise, looking up a solution to a problem isn't going to teach you how to solve that problem. You may think you learn the solution, but the only way you really learn it is to figure it out yourself. Try solving some problems and writing some programs while limiting yourself to only looking up specific questions. Questions about language syntax, or what functions are offered to do a certain task. This is easier accomplished when trying to break your Google addiction if you sit and think about the problem first. Sketch out your idea and maybe put down some basic pseudo code. After you think your model is fairly complete, start coding it. As you code it only look up documentation (such as JavaDoc) to find how to do what you outlined in your pseudo code. As you program it you will likely think of better ways to do things. Try to finish without looking up and solutions online, then review your code and debug it. Make sure your code works the way you expected it to and is as good as you can think of making it. Then, and only then, look up what a good, correct solution to the problem is. Now when you see the solution you will make connections to your code and how you can optimize it. Things will make more sense, start to fall into place, and you'll learn a lot more if you take this approach. It will be more frustrating at first, but in the end it will feel far more rewarding because you actually understand it.

[hiso]

I also think that googling code and problems can be quite troublesome when abused, as IRC, forums, etc... But I feel like coding by yourself without google, irc is kinda frightening.

I know asking for help when you really need some isn't wrong, but how did older programmers tackle that conceptual "blank page" syndrome, without all that information abundance, when they didn't want to annoy their coworkers?

What you described here makes sense as a software building methodology, but how do you deal with more psychological issues, such as fear and frustration?

[dragonwriter]

> I know asking for help when you really need some isn't wrong, but how did older programmers tackle that conceptual "blank page" syndrome, without all that information abundance, when they didn't want to annoy their coworkers?

Books. And desire. And breaking things down and doing one step at a time. "Information abundance" is a mixed blessing; it makes it much easier to find information, but it makes it a lot easier for people to get out of the habit of working things through.