Post #2773934

2026-02-07 12:37 UTC

@vie@hachyderm.io @lain_7@tldr.nettime.org The artisan knows a good tool when they see one and if it were useful and truely labor saving they'd be using it. Poor metaphore that presupposes utility and ignores the critism of a group of experts.

Replies (1)

@lain_7@tldr.nettime.org 2026-02-07 14:37

@alex@gotosocial.theonecurly.page @vie@hachyderm.io You’re missing the point: all these artisanal-based arguments, which I’ll summarize as: “you’re not really interested in being a software engineer”, seem to be based on the assumption that being a software engineer is the only goal one might have. There are other goals, for which programming is the means, not the end. A bicycle for the mind, remember? My own experience with these tools are that they lower the activation barrier on undertaking a project. I achieve in an afternoon what would have taken several days. The effect is that of having a really good library of functions that are geared to the task at hand (“import antigravity”: https://xkcd.com/353/). But, you know, 90% of everything is crap. Making it easier to make more things brings with it the risk of making more crap as well. When desktop publishing was introduced, graphic designers found a lot that horrified them. When the web was introduced, we all got really familiar with the horrors of the tag. I’m not saying one should ignore the criticisms of experts, instead take them to heart in using the tools mindfully.

Open ##2773935