So - as many others "we" have to use LLMs for coding, because ......produce "faster, better, stronger", but because I still gotta eat as well I'm playing around with it to learn how I can use it "better".
I can truly see how alluring the concept is, having a bot that you seemingly can 'discuss' with and that helps you. But some key aspects strike me on how this affect me. You can quickly feel productive (feel).
So large post and IMO:
I need a huge amount of domain knowledge to be able to guide the bot, and keep providing context. This will be tricky when starting up a new project.
It can spit out code fast, a lot of code, creating a huge cognitive load trying to keep up and verify. The code can look good, but can also end up with 200 line method blocks and weird, complex, method branching.
It creates a ton of tests. I don't like this. I mean I like tests, but when the bot both writes the code and the tests, it expand on my 'disconnect' from the code and the solution. I rarely verify the tests as well as the methods. Same code issue in tests exists as in actual code - big, complex.
You need to give input so exact that generalisations and other similar issues you're fixing, are easily missed. E.g. you fix one bugs in 1 input field, but then miss the 9 other similar but different fields.
It makes me 'lazy'. I loose interest. I loose connection. And I do that fast, and the longer that the session last, the less likely I am to keep my focus and guidance. It's simply not fun.
That leads into that I never get into a flow. Those sessions where you look up and 2 hours vanished because I was deep in problem solving are non-existing, because I keep having to wait for the bot and writing and then checking code - possible rewriting it, or asking for refactors.
And as I've mentioned before - I loose connection with my colleagues because we all now argue with the bot instead of each other.
It enforces my imposter syndrome. I've never been or claimed to be, a fantastic programmer. I'm a decent developer because I can understand clients and their problems. But the amount of code produced by the bot is scary and makes me feel worse.
And many more things......
#LLM #programming #developer
