i write code because i love it. it's something that makes me genuinely happy, so why would i give that up?
There is magic in telling computer do something and seeing it zap through it billions of times faster than by any other means.
Why write code in 2026
81–90 of 321 posts
Re: Why write code in 2026
#82Do ppl think that programmers just write code from sratch each time..?! Even without AI I barely write code. 95% of time are spend setting up integrations, configs, copying & adjusting code from previous projects.
And that sort of yak shaving is something LLMs are great at.
Re: Why write code in 2026
#83Apparently it's not obvious to everyone, but if you can't write code, you can't review it. I do know people, and companies, that says: "So what, we ask Claude to write the code, Codex will then do the review". The thing that then strikes me as odd is that they still ask for the code in Python, Java, or some other high level language.... Why? Just ask Claude to dump out assembly, or a compiled binary, but no, they don…
I have a few personal projects, i let codex do all the code - i do the thinking and testing.
One time, something didn't work as expected - its the first time it happened with this project. I read through the section of code and it was perfectly readable and well-written.
Turned out a plugin wasn't effecting the audio, so i just got it to pad some blank audio onto the beginning before processing it, then remove it at the end of the process. That fixed the issue, there was nothing wrong with the code but my ability to think laterally is what made it work.
We're getting to the stage where you can just ask them to write code and they will do what you want, and it writes good code. Its up to you to test everything beyond the internal tests it writes.
Re: Why write code in 2026
#84i write code because i love it. it's something that makes me genuinely happy, so why would i give that up?
Exactly this. I got into this field because designing programs and writing code is enjoyable. I'm probably behind on using AI and need to get more up to speed, but I never want to stop coding by hand.
> I'm probably behind on using AI and need to get more up to speed
Same.
My difficulty is that for the past 8 years I've been working for (tiiiiny) SaaS business where I don't have anyone I can simply ask in-person "hey, can you show me how to 'do' all this newfangled AI agentic team coding?"; so my only direct-exposure is with the painful Copilot sidebar chat, which I now find myself allergic to.
So let's see elsewhere: while searching online for some (reputable) "agentic coding courses" my results are for the same kind of people who used to run those dodgy coding-camps from 10 years ago. I'm having difficulty finding resources for practicing SWEs like myself wanting a continuing-professional-development course experience, not a get-rich-by-buying-my-course video library from a contemptable AI booster
Even more surprisingly, my local major university (UW.edu) doesn't seem to offer any certificate courses for getting into agentic development either[1] despite offering courses on C++, Six Sigma, and actual ML/AI courses. It's maddening. I can't be the only one with this problem...
[1] https://www.pce.uw.edu/search?type=certificate&programType=c...
Re: Why write code in 2026
#85Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes but I always have to be on the lookout for this meta pattern that leads to code bloat. In this case things mostly sorta worked and the simplest way to see the problem was look at the code. And try to take it apart a bit to see where the problem was. I felt I arrived at a better pattern I could trust that the agent could use much more efficiently this way than asking the agent to do it. I could then test that the…
> Yes but I always have to be on the lookout for this meta pattern that leads to code bloat. You don't! Have you tried adding rules/automations that make it explicit to review and fix the code for bloat (per your taste, with examples if needed)? With this setup + a good frontier model you will never have to be on the lookout for code bloat. You can even get the agent to send you text message with the LOC-- if it make…
How do you arrive at a failure case to measure without looking at the code?
How do you establish sane patterns when you’re in an exploratory /architectural mode? You could do this in English, sure, but many of us do this more efficiently and precisely in code in a way that lets us be careful, internalize details, and add measurement + QA to ensure it’s adhered to by agents or humans.
I’m not saying to write all the code. I’m saying it’s useful to write 5% of it. Then let an Agent stamp out / rewrite the rest
Re: Why write code in 2026
#86exactly how many times do you plan on posting this here
Re: Why write code in 2026
#87exactly how many times do you plan on posting this here
Re: Why write code in 2026
#88Apparently it's not obvious to everyone, but if you can't write code, you can't review it. I do know people, and companies, that says: "So what, we ask Claude to write the code, Codex will then do the review". The thing that then strikes me as odd is that they still ask for the code in Python, Java, or some other high level language.... Why? Just ask Claude to dump out assembly, or a compiled binary, but no, they don…
They don't have Claude write assembly because there is no training corpus on people making CRUD apps in assembly. I'm as hateful of LLMs hollowing out the job market as the next guy, but the reality is the frontier LLMs are really good at writing anything that's been done and documented on the Internet a million times and unfortunately most of what software devs have been doing the last couple decades is shitting out…
What's there to advance to?
Without a revolutionary new platform to build apps on that no one has ever developed for before, there is basically no reason to believe there is any software left that has some business or economic value that hasn't already been written.
Re: Why write code in 2026
#89exactly how many times do you plan on posting this here
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Re: Why write code in 2026
#90Why is this even a legit question? I need to keep writing code to stay relevant, not to forget my craft, be able to review code... So many reasons. AI doesn't change a thing.
Before my time ppl mostly did things in asm, I bet the vast majority of people reading this have never touched assembly and will never have any reason to. This is quickly becoming true of most "code". AI has changed that. One way to "stay relevant" would be to admit that.
I have also never used punch cards, what does it prove?