Post #2773935

2026-02-07 14:37 UTC

@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.

Replies (1)

@alex@gotosocial.theonecurly.page 2026-02-07 19:03

@vie@hachyderm.io @lain_7@tldr.nettime.org I love tools that make programming accessible and easier. I love piles of people's terrible scripts that work just for them. That's the beautiful part of computing. I don't love an industry hell bent on renting skills that should be free. LLM output being 'bad but functional' is a feature in keeping people from learning and weaning off the system. The industry is for a profit so models are tuned not to help but to keep you coming back for more. That's what I talk about with it being bad. They're buying up all the ram, gpus, and storage. Personal computing is being assaulted on all fronts with the aim to sell it back to you every month. After this industry implodes maybe there will be a use case for some llm tools but for the moment they're the weapon of a dangerous foe and helping them push it harms us all.

Open ##2773936