Ask HN: What was the last task about that you abandoned
... realizing that it will never work?
I have abandoned ideas during the investigatory phase because it turned out they weren't feasible, but I don't think that counts. The whole purpose of the investigatory phase is to determine if the idea is feasible.
Once begun, I can't remember ever abandoning a task because I realized it wouldn't work. I've certainly abandoned tasks for other reasons, though.
Answer this: _What_ was the last task about that you abandoned realizing that it will never work?
This isn't software. I needed to develop a mechanism to handle playing cards in an accurate and detailed way. After some testing of the minimum implementation, it became clear that the mechanism I had imagined was fundamentally too unreliable for use, so (using the lessons learned from the exploration) I developed a mechanism based on an entirely different principle.
I tried having a normal conversation with a teenager the other day.
I eventually gave up to avoid a headache.