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0 pointsThanemate3h ago0 comments

I'm oddly enthusiastic about seeing someone who beings the HACKER in HackerNews. But at the same time, this made me remember the days when display of skill and craftsmanship were rewarded in the industry.

Maybe it's finally time to move on from being a career programmer.

0 comments

noduerme3h ago

What a dismissive comment. Now that anyone can have an LLM write code for them, the only people who have value to bring to a project are the ones who can improve upon the LLM's output. That is, the ones who have a deep enough understanding of the logic and language. And the only people who will ever be in that position are the ones who take the time and effort, out of sheer curiosity, to learn how things work. Whatever your alternative is to this, there is no future in the alternative.

dwedge2h ago

Artisanal code has a future. Maybe not a high paid one but maybe we go back to roots. if you enjoy programming and were never focused on output or on pipelines, LLM doesn't offer the same ezperience

noduerme1h ago

Sometime around when wordpress came out, or at least 2005 or so, I started positioning myself as a bespoke web designer, then app developer. Whereas anyone could get a site done, I turned myself to doing things that hadn't been done before, for which standard solutions wouldn't fit. I turned away 80% of jobs and raised my rate from $25 to $100, then to $300/hr. To me, pricing and only doing bespoke work was a defensive measure against falling into a career hole I didn't want to end up in. But mostly it was just that I didn't want to repeat myself or waste my time doing something that a client could already buy off the shelf.

Artisanal code, or bespoke code, has always been the best paid and most satisfying work. If we no longer have a new generation of curious people who enjoy solving hard problems, it's only going to become more valuable.

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dinkumthinkum1h ago

I don't see it as dismissive, maybe you two are talking past each other but seem to be on similar side. I think the parent just articulated a sense of resignation that many people probably share. I think you might be saying that maybe there is still some shred to hold onto, possibly.

shevy-java2h ago

I don't see anything dismissive here. It is a realistic assessment: if the choice is between code generated by AI or code generated by a human, and the AI is better in an objective manner, then why should a company employ a human? I refer here solely to the code result; naturally humans may do things AI can not do yet, but if the question is solely about code quality and AIs are better here, then why would that comment be dismissive rather than realistic?

> And the only people who will ever be in that position are the ones who take the time and effort, out of sheer curiosity, to learn how things work.

People learn something new all the time, AI does not learn anything, it just simulates and hallucinates. But the core question is not addressed with that. What would you do if you have to compete against AI, and AI is better? We already see these with the new generation of humanoid robots from China. Those things make Boston Dynamics robots look like tinker-toys in comparison - already as-is. Give it ten more years and we finally reached AI skynet for real.

noduerme1h ago

What do you mean when you say AI code is better? I am looking at AI code all day and it's just garbage that happens to work for whatever feature was requested... in no way is it better code. Any human who was so careless as an AI to commit such atrocities would be fired.

lofaszvanittnew18m ago

success through perseverance and toughness - fucked by AI

success through cleverness and inventiveness - not yet fucked by AI

achievement through stubborn persistence - you can still dig deep holes in the garden

you still could have a character, if you were lucky

human agency? not yet fucked up, but it's gonna be

achievement earned through one's own qualities or effort? - intact somewhat

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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noduerme3h ago

dwedge2h ago

Artisanal code has a future. Maybe not a high paid one but maybe we go back to roots. if you enjoy programming and were never focused on output or on pipelines, LLM doesn't offer the same ezperience

noduerme1h ago

1 more reply

dinkumthinkum1h ago

shevy-java2h ago

> And the only people who will ever be in that position are the ones who take the time and effort, out of sheer curiosity, to learn how things work.

noduerme1h ago

lofaszvanittnew18m ago

success through perseverance and toughness - fucked by AI

success through cleverness and inventiveness - not yet fucked by AI

achievement through stubborn persistence - you can still dig deep holes in the garden

you still could have a character, if you were lucky

human agency? not yet fucked up, but it's gonna be

achievement earned through one's own qualities or effort? - intact somewhat

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse