Greentext

i guess the new new gpt actually makes code that works on the first time

I know people that used to work in programming with zero internet connection... this was ~10 years ago... never underestimate the idiocy of companies. P.s. it wasnt even a high security job, the owners were just paranoid boomers.

With that said, with a decent IDE with autocomplete, you can get by a lot without documentation. Its ussually the niche stuff that you need to look up on how to do it.

I mean, I don't know how to code but I imagine it's the same as with other subjects. like not being able to use a calculator during some math tests. The point of the examination is for you to demonstrate you know and understand the concepts. It's not for you to be tested in the same way you would be in the real world.

where’s my typo

;

You would think eventually some of it would sink in. I mean I use LLMs to write code all the time but it’s very rarely 100% correct, often with syntax errors or logic problems. Having to fix that stuff is an excellent way to at least learn the syntax.

U underestimate the power of the darkside, how powerful ctrl+c ctrl+v is young padawan

I work in a dept. at a university that does all the proctored exams. None of that technology is allowed in the exam rooms. They have to put their watch, phone, headphones, etc in a locker beforehand. And not only are they being watched individually, the computer is locked down to not allow other applications to open and there are outgoing firewalls in place to block most everything network wise. I’m not saying it’s impossible to cheat, but it’s really really hard.

Some instructors still do in class exams, which would make it easier, but most opted for the proctored type exams especially during Covid.

Probably promoted to middle management instead

"Every time we use a lever to lift a stone, we're trading long term strength for short term productivity. We're optimizing for today's pyramid at the cost of tomorrow's ability."

I like the sentiment of the article; however this quote really rubs me the wrong way:

I’m not suggesting we abandon AI tools—that ship has sailed.

Why would that ship have sailed? No one is forcing you to use an LLM. If, as the article supposes, using an LLM is detrimental, and it's possible to start having days where you don't use an LLM, then what's stopping you from increasing the frequency of those days until you're not using an LLM at all?

I personally don't interact with any LLMs, neither at work or at home, and I don't have any issue getting work done. Yeah there was a decently long ramp-up period — maybe about 6 months — when I started on ny current project at work where it was more learning than doing; but now I feel like I know the codebase well enough to approach any problem I come up against. I've even debugged USB driver stuff, and, while it took a lot of research and reading USB specs, I was able to figure it out without any input from an LLM.

Maybe it's just because I've never bought into the hype; I just don't see how people have such a high respect for LLMs. I'm of the opinion that using an LLM has potential only as a truly last resort — and even then will likely not be useful.

Hey that sounds exactly like what the last company I worked at did for every single project 🙃

Not even. Every time someone lets AI run wild on a problem, they're trading all trust I ever had in them for complete garbage that they're not even personally invested enough in to defend it when I criticize their absolute shit code. Don't submit it for review if you haven't reviewed it yourself, Darren.

This guy's solution to becoming crappier over time is "I'll drink every day, but abstain one day a week".

I'm not convinced that "that ship has sailed" as he puts it.

I'm pretty sure chatgpt just tells you how it works, so they probably just memorized what it said.

You'd think that, but I believe you are underestimating people's ability to mindlessly memorize stuff without learning it.

It's super easy to learn how algorithms and what not work without knowing the syntax of a language. I can tell you how a binary search tree works, but I have no clue how to code it in Java because I've never used Java.

To get the peice of paper that lets you access a living wage

A lot of kids fresh out of highschool are pressured into going to college right away. Its the societal norm for some fucking reason.

Give these kids a break and let them go when they're really ready. Personally I sat around for a year and a half before I felt like "fuck, this is boring lets go learn something now". If i had gone to college straight from highschool I would've flunked out and just wasted all that money for nothing.

My Java classes at uni:

Here's a piece of code that does nothing. Make it do nothing, but in compliance with this design pattern.

When I say it did nothing, I mean it had literally empty function bodies.