Vibe code is legacy code • Hacker News Board

Re: Vibe code is legacy code

#21

Post by iambateman » Wed, Jul 30, 2025, 10:09 PM UTC

Yesterday, I wrote detailed requirements for a bit of software, and sent Claude to work. The code looked great until it…didn’t. It ended up being completely unworkable.

I’ve noticed myself writing requirements for a feature and asking Claude to help me think through and expand. Obviously in a real project, there are challenges: (1) how do we tell Claude what is already in the project so it doesn’t reimplement existing methods? (2) how do we get Claude to fully implement the feature and not just “stub it out?” (3) how do we help Professionals maintain visibility and digest the new code?

Claude recommends the explore-plan-code-commit loop. I’m working on a package which formalizes that process within a Laravel application.

Re: Vibe code is legacy code

#22

Post by hollowturtle » Wed, Jul 30, 2025, 10:09 PM UTC

pyman wrote: post #2

Something interesting is happening. A false narrative is spreading online, pushed by people who know little about engineering, and others who should know better. They claim junior devs are now 10x more productive, and project managers are shipping code themselves. Now, close your eyes for five seconds and try to picture what that code looks like. It's 100% legacy, disposable code. The problem isn't AI, or PMs turning…

> Everyone else is just building simple (and working) software on top of disposable code.

I'd argue we should better define working. Take for example a generated UI, they all look the same and are subtly wrong or broken in many ways. At a first sight it might seem "working" only to fail at the first user test. Also generated UIs already feel like obsolete, meaning they religiously follow the trend at the training moment, they spectacularly fail coming up with something new

Re: Vibe code is legacy code

#23

Post by mrits » Wed, Jul 30, 2025, 10:10 PM UTC

lawlessone wrote: post #18

mrits wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All code is a liability but all code is not legacy. I'm not OP but I agree Vibe is legacy simply because there is no longer anyone around that is qualified to maintain it or know the reasoning behind it (there never was)

The argument against this can be summed up as throwing more data, training and gpu's at the problem until it works again.

Knowing if it is actually working or not is half the problem.

Re: Vibe code is legacy code

#24

Post by dabber21 » Wed, Jul 30, 2025, 10:10 PM UTC

we need a mandatory warning label for any services that were vibe coded.

I really don't want to sign up for a service and then get my shit leaked immediately

Re: Vibe code is legacy code

#25

Post by pyman » Wed, Jul 30, 2025, 10:11 PM UTC

simonw wrote: post #5

This is really clear and well argued. I particularly enjoyed this line: > If you don't understand the code, your only recourse is to ask AI to fix it for you, which is like paying off credit card debt with another credit card.

I'm now following your advice and just telling LLMs, "Do better." Although I have to admit, the other day I lost it and said, "Fix it goddammit or I'll delete you!"

LLMs really know how to bring out the worst in intelligent, hard-working, respectable developers. I can't even imagine what PMs are saying to them, but I'd happily pay another $30 a month just to read those messages :)

Re: Vibe code is legacy code

#26

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jul 30, 2025, 10:11 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Vibe code is legacy code

#27

Post by lawlessone » Wed, Jul 30, 2025, 10:13 PM UTC

mrits wrote: post #23

lawlessone wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The argument against this can be summed up as throwing more data, training and gpu's at the problem until it works again.

Knowing if it is actually working or not is half the problem.

Vibe Validation :D

Just ask the model.

Re: Vibe code is legacy code

#28

Post by tux1968 » Wed, Jul 30, 2025, 10:15 PM UTC

This has happened before. Non-technical or junior people developed and deployed applications, emboldened by the relative ease of Microsoft Access and Excel. There were all kinds of limitations, scaling problems, and maintenance nightmares. But there were a lot of upsides too, and it made the "professionals" up their game to obviate the need for such adhoc and unsanctioned developments.

Come to think of it, the exact same thing happened when the PC became popular. Mainframe people were aghast at all the horrible unprofessional mess that the PC people were creating.

Re: Vibe code is legacy code

#29

Post by ChrisMarshallNY » Wed, Jul 30, 2025, 10:15 PM UTC

> and throwaway projects

I have seldom encountered these.

What I encounter, instead, are lashups that the engineering team thought would be throwaway, but which Management made "Final Ship" code.

I have learned to always do "ship-shape" code; even for the most innocuous projects. I may be a bit sloppy as I'm exploring different paths, but the minute I decide on a firm plan, the code cleanup and documentation starts.

Re: Vibe code is legacy code

#30

Post by airstrike » Wed, Jul 30, 2025, 10:16 PM UTC

iambateman wrote: post #21

Yesterday, I wrote detailed requirements for a bit of software, and sent Claude to work. The code looked great until it…didn’t. It ended up being completely unworkable. I’ve noticed myself writing requirements for a feature and asking Claude to help me think through and expand. Obviously in a real project, there are challenges: (1) how do we tell Claude what is already in the project so it doesn’t reimplement existin…

I mean, that's why Windsurf and the like exist. Claude can navigate through the codebase in those environments and do more