Thread

1. axegon_ · 1789905896 · focus · HN ↗

   Ah, the "skill issue" argument again. Same crap aswhen everyonewas worshiping Musk 5-6 years ago, this time it's dario and altman with a claude/chatgpt mask. Crash can't come soon enough.

   1. skybrian · 1789906594 · focus · HN ↗

      And why wouldn’t writing software be a skill issue? Yes, it’s an annoying meme, but we should expect that there are better and worse ways to write software. It would be weird if everyone got the same results regardless of experience.

      I’m doubtful that the author’s recommendation always work, but I do some similar things and they do seem to help.

      1. pydry · 1789908646 · focus · HN ↗

         >And why wouldn’t writing software be a skill issue

         You've missed the point. Nobody doubts writing code well or badly is indeed a skill issue.

         The question is that "once you account for all of the things you need to do to make the code very high quality, did vibe coding actually provide any real value?"

         I'm certain there are guardrails that help bolster vibe coding but I'm equally certain that when ive prompted something important I usually have to redo it enough times that just writing it manually myself usually would have been quicker.

         Then I watch other people who code who dump on that opinion and I see total slop. They just can't tell the difference.

         1. AndrewKemendo · 1789909196 · focus · HN ↗

            I hate typing and like reading

            That seems to be the primary difference I’ve found between people who embrace gen code and those who dont

            The ones who dont, seem to like the physical act of typing, and that tends to cluster with people who write software all day

            1. Sharlin · 1789912268 · focus · HN ↗

               My experience is that most people don't enjoy code review, which is why it must usually be actively encouraged and not just something that happens naturally.

               Mechanically writing boilerplate is not enjoyable, and unfortunately in some languages and domains most of the coding is writing boilerplate. Machines can help with that no problem.

               What is presumably enjoyable to most programmers is writing the parts where the actual magic happens. The translation of informal ideas into formal representation has beauty, like mathematics has beauty. Designing and implementing structures of code and data that are as simple as possible, but not simpler, is rewarded with a feeling of artisanal satisfaction and pride. Few things in life are as satisfactory as figuring out an elegant solution to a challenging problem.

               None of the above are necessarily bound to the actual typing of words and symbols. AIs can help with all of them, and act as a genuine force multiplier. I would describe that as "responsible use of AI". Unfortunately, it seems that incentives are often against such use.

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