I Forgot to Code
reggieescobar.com
I Forgot to Code
1–10 of 11 posts
Re: I Forgot to Code
#2We can tell. Scrolling on that website feels heavy and lags.
Re: I Forgot to Code
#3> I went all in on AI coding tools and became incredibly productive. Then I lost my job and could not write a for loop.
After I read that, I couldn't even bring myself to read the article.
Re: I Forgot to Code
#4We can tell. Scrolling on that website feels heavy and lags.
Ironic that the site has the most AI (over-)design ever.
Re: I Forgot to Code
#5Muscles that are not used weaken. Back before mobile phones, it was common to memorize entire phone numbers. And before Google, we used to be able to remember web addresses.
Now it is coding.
Re: I Forgot to Code
#6Re: I Forgot to Code
#7Has this been a common experience for others, this much atrophy in skill after just 6 months?
Re: I Forgot to Code
#8Has this been a common experience for others, this much atrophy in skill after just 6 months?
I can code (I know because I recently needed to dive and make changes in a codebase where no LLM was allowed to), it just feels pointless writing any CRUD-stuff or silly re-implementations of common algorithms, so much that I literally cannot bring myself to doing it. Leetcode feels especially pointless.
Yes I can write some algorithmic code, and I can also calculate and sometimes even improve the computational complexity of some complex code!
However, I accepted the fact that LLMs can do these better than me and would rather show my skills in the bigger picture stuff.
Maybe I won't be able to code after 60 months? Only time will tell.
Re: I Forgot to Code
#9> I went all in on AI coding tools and became incredibly productive. Then I lost my job and could not write a for loop. After I read that, I couldn't even bring myself to read the article.
I'm assuming it's hyperbole, and software developers aren't a good audience for that sort of literary device:)
Nevertheless, I too stopped reading. I had to wonder if you forgot how to code so quickly whether he knew how to code to begin with
Re: I Forgot to Code
#10Has this been a common experience for others, this much atrophy in skill after just 6 months?
Could I still code the same way? Maybe. Probably, if I really put my mind to it.
The problem, what scares me, is the feeling of emptiness it leaves me with. Before, writing code brought me joy. Today, when I write code that I am not allowed to automate it just feels like a chore. It's a bit like how once you get used to a powerful IDE, writing code in, say, Notepad, becomes a chore.
It also means that my brain really, really wants to forget the basics. Why write:
api.users.forEach(({ id:u, name, contact:{ email, phone="—" }, roles:[r,...rs], active, meta:{ ...m } = {} }, i, a) => console.log({ u, name, email, phone, role:r, others:rs, active, metaKeys:Object.keys(m), index:i, total:a.length }));
When I could just right-click in the IDE and type "loop through users". Heck, I even asked an LLM to generate that example because I didn't feel like thinking, let alone typing that line.
That's what scares me the most.
For now? I still remember how to code. But coding makes me feel like I'm wasting my time, because my brain knows it can offload this task.
It was the same when Google Maps took over. Before, I was able to find my way around my city, go to the next town over and find a place just from the address. Now? I can’t do it anymore.
Before, I could memorize dozens of phone numbers. Now, I can't do that anymore.
Soon, I'm afraid I won't be able to write code anymore.