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Comment by TrackerFF | Hacker News Reader

I think it is great to take pride in ones craft, but in the end it comes down to this: We create software for users.

If the user can't feel any difference in quality between human made software, or AI made software, then it does not mater. It is that easy.

If AI makes better software, at lower prices, human developers will become obsolete. It is the natural way of life.

Once we had telephone operators, now we don't. Once you had to be a good tradesman with good knowledge in how to use a mallet/hammer, axe, chisel, etc. to build a house - now you don't. You don't get awarded for being old-fashioned.

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I make better software because I don't think like this.

That's wonderful, I hope someone will continue to pay you for it, and not go for the 80% solution that is 1000x cheaper. If you're a deeply specialized IC, you're probably good. If you write the perfect, elegant, hand-set code to do CRUD or implement run-of-the-mill business logic, probably not.

Your code is slop. Your coworkers can tell that Chat GPT wrote your PR.

That's alright Jenny, we all use agents here for development. But don't you fret, you and your handcrafted artisanal code will always have a place in the world, just as painters do.

Do you or a firm you represent have significant investments in AI platforms?

You think you make better software because you don’t think like this.

There's still work for artisanal woodworkers, doing everything by hand with the utmost care[0]

But that doesn't change the fact that the VAST majority of people are just fine with mass-produced furniture

I think this is the difference that's going to happen to software.

There's the one doing everything in bare vim with zero assist, just rawdogging function names and library methods from rote memory.

And then there's the rest who use all the tools at their disposal to solve problems. Is the work super clean, efficient and fully hand-crafted? Nope. Does it solve the problem? Yes it does, and fast.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/@ISHITANIFURNITURE

This is an interesting analogy as I have found that unless you are regularly in contact with hand made furniture, you have little feel for what is different about mass produced furniture and why anything else is desirable.

There may very well be a texture to “hand crafted” software that will be totally lost on users. But I kind of doubt the difference will be anything like the difference in furniture.

IMO it's the same in furniture.

There will always be people who know the difference and care about the difference. And are prepared to pay the premium for handcrafted furniture.

But the vast majority of people either won't care or don't know the difference - mostly because they've never experienced it. They just take it for grated that their IKEA cardboard stuff won't make it through a move and buy a new one.

And then there's the one person with the almost century old desk that was handmade from hardwood and is practically indestructible and fully repairable if something cracks.

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