I'm going back to coding by hand • Hacker News Board

Re: I'm going back to coding by hand

#51

Post by trencedamp » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 7:11 AM UTC

spottedmarley wrote: post #15

The debate bothers me. Why anyone feels they need to only code one way or the other is strange. I do both. Actually, there are three options: By hand, hands off, and AI assistance while you code by hand. I'll do any of the three depending on what Im building or how I feel. Why does it have to be a hard line "Im not using AI anymore" or "I have to use AI for everything"?

Well it's actually not, if you read my post you'd see that I use AI at work for everything, and I'm going back to hand coding for one of my more important side projects. I still use LLMs for less important work

Re: I'm going back to coding by hand

#52

Post by dunefox » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 11:03 AM UTC

sgbeal wrote: post #40

dunefox wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not using an IDE in 2026?

> Not using an IDE in 2026? Emacs. Uninterrupted since the 1990s.

I'm sure you can run an IDE on EmacsOS.

Re: I'm going back to coding by hand

#53

Post by dunefox » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 11:04 AM UTC

dosisking wrote: post #29

dunefox wrote: post #26

I'm not. I just don't want to implement code for reading files, setting up and population databases, logs, etc. manually anymore. I want to automate boilerplate, the occasional frontend code, etc. and focus on the parts that are interesting for me. This way I can get things done that I wouldn't otherwise.

I hope I never have to use your software

I'm very certain you have used lots of software, either directly or indirectly, that has ai parts in it. The truth is, that it's quite reliable if done correctly. As if 'human written' software is somehow flawless.

Re: I'm going back to coding by hand

#54

Post by aatd86 » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 11:11 AM UTC

Towaway69 wrote: post #41

nisegami wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I build the base manually and then I can iterate with AI faster once the fundamentals are solid. I've had tremendous success with this approach as well.

Why do we need humans in the loop, what exactly can’t be replaced by an AI in your workflow? It sounds like having another AI telling the first AI not to “drift” away from the fundamentals would do the trick? Does this activity require some kind of super human abilities that can’t be done by an AI? What exactly is it that gives satisfaction? Bossing around a junior developer or reviewing code generated by said junior…

AI still does not do pattern matching the same way my brain works. I still see things that can be improved where the AI just go with what is most common. If I nudge it, it realizes it. If I don't, I get basic software.

Just as I speak, it is reworking a UI compositor design, after I told it to use the reactive framework I have built for damage restoration, because in the end, this is a reactive problem. The implications, it drew on its own. But I had to nudge it.