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If coding has been solved, why does software keep getting worse?

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Re: If coding has been solved, why does software keep getting worse?

#561

Post by aryehof »

Lines of code, functions and modules, are insufficient for producing quality representational systems i.e. those that model external systems. There is a lack of sufficient abstractions.

Unlike transformational software that can use mathematics as a conceptual framework, representational systems have no such thing.

Yet it is complex representational systems that allow the operation of our modern world.

Human coding effort without such a framework is problematic, and that is just exacerbated with AI generated code. Should we be surprised that for this type of software AI makes thing worse?

Re: If coding has been solved, why does software keep getting worse?

#562

Post by chanux »

zkmon wrote: post #149

> My banking app requires, on average, three FaceID logins before the 3D Secure confirmation view appears. That's a different, equally big problem. Security mafia at every company will continue to rule everything and everyone. They do not have goals or constraints that are tied to productivity and user experience. We are heading to a situation where the security teams are causing much more damage compared to the poss…

Drum it out loud.

Some organizations are stuck in proverbial cobwebs of security blankets.

Those who dictate what security should be have no skin in the game, the end result is just stupid.

My pet hate when I still worked was "defence in depth". I witnessed this term being thrown around to the point it was only an excuse.

A lot of box ticking paper pushers in the space, somehow making the scene a clown show.

Re: If coding has been solved, why does software keep getting worse?

#564

Post by worthless-trash »

dosisking wrote: post #537
pigeons wrote: post #466

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Including the linux kernel.

I dread Linux kernel updates. Still running a 4.4 era kernel. Kernel versions have always been hit or miss, some are good, others introduced a new bug. Sometimes it's necessary to upgrade glibc as well which is a huge pain.

What a target rich environment for attackers.

Re: If coding has been solved, why does software keep getting worse?

#565

Post by ninalanyon »

Coding itself is not the problem and mostly never was. The problem is conflicting requirements, lack of resources, haste, the desire to be first with a feature, etc.

And the lack of backlash from anyone with real influence when software fails.

That is software is bad because organizations make it so not because the coders are incompetent.

Re: If coding has been solved, why does software keep getting worse?

#566

Post by shalmanese »

jason_oster wrote: post #399
alphazard wrote: post #388

The answer, of course, is that the taste-making apparatus inside the typical tech company is now entirely imposters (non-technical, non-power-users), who continue to LARP as visionaries. The people who notice broken or degraded behavior (devs and power users) and conceive of good designs are not in charge of what goes into the product. So you shouldn't expect it to get better, only to continuously change so that the…

> The solution is to gut your product org, replace management with leading engineers, and hire some of your most fanatic users. They don't need to do anything other than give their opinions, and use the product every day. Put them in a room with your top engineers, and the software will mysteriously get better. I feel like there's this one random comment on HN that should be adopted on its merits alone, but everyone…

> I feel like there's this one random comment on HN that should be adopted on its merits alone, but everyone will ignore for no good reason.

Because it's populist slop, just like how every long enough discussion about government incompetence will lead to someone proposing all political leaders should be paid minimum wage to fix the problem.

Don't forget, the entire Web 2.0 winner ecosystem of companies that make up our modern Internet was founded by Engineer GodKings who leveraged their product prowess to gain a distribution advantage: Facebook, Dropbox, Slack, Stripe, Github, Whatsapp, Instagram etc. They were also the ones who transformed their companies to what they are today, nobody forced them to do this. Contrary to populist opinion, it's not because they were stupid or brainwashed, it's because the proposed scheme has known, predictable downsides that a leader actually has to reckon with while internet commenters only have to worry about preserving their egos.

Re: If coding has been solved, why does software keep getting worse?

#567

Post by [deleted] »

Rury wrote: post #493
alphazard wrote: post #388

The answer, of course, is that the taste-making apparatus inside the typical tech company is now entirely imposters (non-technical, non-power-users), who continue to LARP as visionaries. The people who notice broken or degraded behavior (devs and power users) and conceive of good designs are not in charge of what goes into the product. So you shouldn't expect it to get better, only to continuously change so that the…

Yup. This is basically what Steve Jobs argued throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and championed as a philosophy. Adopting it, took Apple from being a struggling tech company on the verge of bankruptcy, to the dominant personal consumer technology maker it is today.

[deleted]

Re: If coding has been solved, why does software keep getting worse?

#568

Post by eviks »

1718627440 wrote: post #195
eviks wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you want to continue typing, but in an invisible field hidden by a different foreground app?

It's not what I would call invisible, but yeah that's the behaviour I would expect. That's also similar, to what already happens when I type in one window, while I scroll in another.

That's only possible when they are partially.side by side otherwise you wouldn't be able to hover over the background window

Re: If coding has been solved, why does software keep getting worse?

#569

Post by eviks »

thaumasiotes wrote: post #271
eviks wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My expectation is described in the comment you replied to and side comments Microwave's ding is also bad UI, especially when it's repetitive as it's just useless noise. But even the first ding - what value does it have if you already have exactly the same notification category - audio cue - built right there in the process: the machine noise disappears when it stops working.

The microwave in my house continues making the operating noise after it finishes microwaving.

So? Different models can require different UI?

Re: If coding has been solved, why does software keep getting worse?

#570

Post by classified »

bee_rider wrote: post #530
zrobotics wrote: post #380

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only software I've been excited about an update for in years has been games, that seems like the only category where devs actually add features people are excited about. For example, the latest KCD2 patch added a fun but brief new quest [0]. Not universal though. Besides your example, even for single player games patches can be basically malicious. I've had Fallout 4 locked on updates for like 3 years at this poi…

I think games are the exception because they are * relatively small purchases * paid for directly by the user * expected to be enjoyable Most other software fails at least one of those tests, reducing the ability to shop around and make an informed decision.

We can't change the fact that commercial OS vendors are all feudal overlords now, but the lawmakers are letting them get away with it and that is something we might still be able to change.
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