Great article. Writing about something you are struggling with is indeed a great exercise and can be clarifying, be that a technical issue or not.

I've seen this so many times in the beginner communities I'm on... Someone asks for help and gives little/no information. Another person engages in the conversation and asks for more and more information. Forced to elaborate on the issue, the question asker himself comes up with a solution. My guess is that, more often than not, you can achieve a similar result by engaging in a "mental conversation" with yourself through writing.

If that doesn't work, at least you'll have gathered enough to let someone help you accordingly. Valuing other people's time is key.