It's interesting how there's an increasing split of software engineers into those who're very happy with AI and leaning more into it, and those who're increasingly skeptical or dejected.
I don't know how this will play out, but I haven't seen anything like this before.
For my social circle, the distinction falls almost perfectly along the line of people who see software engineering as a craft / passion, versus those who see it as something that needs to be done to get paid.
The first group is generally disillusioned, for two reasons. First, it's an attack on their hobby. Second, they sort of can't let go: they want to own the product, they want to understand if the code is good or bad, and they spend a lot of time cleaning up after LLMs. Which, frankly, is not fun. You're no longer doing anything clever, you're just a janitor.
The second group is over the moon about it because they feel it gives them the elite powers previously only reserved for greybeards.
I don't think this is unique to coding. It's the same thing with writing. If you like writing, you probably hate LLMs. If you see writing as a boring chore that needs to be done, you are delighted to have a button you can press. Haha, take that all the influential bloggers, tech writers, etc. I can now do your job at 10x the speed.
Not my experience at all. I’ve coded for fun for 40+ years and professionally for 30, and I absolutely love Claude Code. I write far more high-quality, high-performance code, and I learn much faster. I no longer have to agonize over which fun project to pick. I can do them all.
There is a trick, though: using these models well is a skill. It’s a tool, and you won’t get good results without experimenting, learning from others, and settling on a workflow that fits what you care about.
bucket2015 · · focus · HN ↗
I don't know how this will play out, but I haven't seen anything like this before.
in_absentia · · focus · HN ↗
The first group is generally disillusioned, for two reasons. First, it's an attack on their hobby. Second, they sort of can't let go: they want to own the product, they want to understand if the code is good or bad, and they spend a lot of time cleaning up after LLMs. Which, frankly, is not fun. You're no longer doing anything clever, you're just a janitor.
The second group is over the moon about it because they feel it gives them the elite powers previously only reserved for greybeards.
I don't think this is unique to coding. It's the same thing with writing. If you like writing, you probably hate LLMs. If you see writing as a boring chore that needs to be done, you are delighted to have a button you can press. Haha, take that all the influential bloggers, tech writers, etc. I can now do your job at 10x the speed.
deterministic · · focus · HN ↗
There is a trick, though: using these models well is a skill. It’s a tool, and you won’t get good results without experimenting, learning from others, and settling on a workflow that fits what you care about.