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VS Code inserting 'Co-Authored-by Copilot' into commits regardless of usage

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Re: VS Code inserting 'Co-Authored-by Copilot' into commits regardless of usage

#361

Post by bigyabai »

rsynnott wrote: post #218
bigyabai wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They could have shipped a good product with all those billions They did. It's called Azure: https://www.geekwire.com/2026/microsoft-tops-wall-street-exp...

That's largely a product of work in the 2010s. What's their next Azure? Clippy on steroids probably won't cut it.

Their next Azure is the same as the next App Store and the next YouTube; they are services, you just keep operating them while they're in the green.

Microsoft's B2C reputation is undeniably burnt, but their B2B mindshare is unshakable.

Re: VS Code inserting 'Co-Authored-by Copilot' into commits regardless of usage

#362

Post by movedx »

artyom wrote: post #182

To everyone who bought the "developer-friendly" Microsoft of VSCode fame from a few years ago: this is what they forever did, and forever will do. This company has been pulling these tricks since the early 90s. If you fell for this once again, there's nobody else to blame but yourself.

You’re forgetting the fact that the newer generations coming into the industry don’t know that. They don’t even know what a VHS tape is and some don’t even know what a DVD is — this isn’t a problem it’s just their baseline is different from ours. Global warming is an example of this: newer generations see today’s conditions as normal but we older generations see them as broken and a problem.

To be direct about this: this is actually our fault they fell for this. It’s your fault too. We’re the ones building the future for the next generation/s, so whatever “tricks” they fall for are created by our generation (to extract or generate wealth, amongst other things.)

That’s on us to do better through education and fighting back.

Re: VS Code inserting 'Co-Authored-by Copilot' into commits regardless of usage

#363

Post by bigstrat2003 »

smaudet wrote: post #193
diego_sandoval wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Microsoft spent literal decades rehabilitating their reputation. Mmm... I think I missed that part.

Not everyone bought it, but they campaigned hard...and now see it was all just a dog and pony show. The hold-outs were right...

Not really. A company is not one monolithic entity with a single will. Far more plausible than "it was all a trick" is that for a time, people were in charge who really were trying to improve things, and now, those people have been replaced with others who are willing to burn it all down.

Re: VS Code inserting 'Co-Authored-by Copilot' into commits regardless of usage

#364

Post by krupan »

danlugo92 wrote: post #319
bitwize wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hackernews used to experience a collective paroxysm of joy every time a new Visual Studio Code dropped. There definitely was a pervasive belief that the Nadella era ushered in a cuddly new Microsoft.

I remember a time, way back, around 2010 maybe?, where Microsoft was referred to as "M$" in this place and generally perceived as an evil corporation o.O

Lol, yep! That actually goes way back before 2010. It probably started in the early 90's, at least

Re: VS Code inserting 'Co-Authored-by Copilot' into commits regardless of usage

#365

Post by bandrami »

bandrami wrote: post #329
SwellJoe wrote: post #4

"Sent from my iPhone" marketing only works if people want everyone to know they're using the product.

Huh. I always thought the point of "Sent from my iPhone" (or the earlier "Sent from my Blackberry") was that it indicated "I don't have access to my desktop and file server right now so don't expect me to send that file".

I once was involved with booking the actor Kal Penn for an event and his signature line was "Sent from your mom's house". I always loved that.

Re: VS Code inserting 'Co-Authored-by Copilot' into commits regardless of usage

#366

Post by krupan »

janice1999 wrote: post #69
rsynnott wrote: post #26

One fascinating thing about the whole AI phenomenon is how incredibly hostile it is to _standards_. Whether something works properly, or is ethical, or is true, no longer matters at all; all that matters is "pls use our AI". Microsoft spent literal decades rehabilitating their reputation. And then set fire to the whole thing in an offering to their robot gods. And it's not just them. There was a time that Google care…

They invested billions. They're scared.

And they aren't the only ones! The bubble might be reaching it's size limits

Re: VS Code inserting 'Co-Authored-by Copilot' into commits regardless of usage

#367

Post by anonymars »

hirvi74 wrote: post #316
discordance wrote: post #302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Remember “Microsoft <3 Linux”

I tried my hardest to block that out of my memory. Everyone knew their fingers were crossed behind their backs.

I think it's true though. They don't care about Windows anymore, that's plain as day. Most of their software is now cross-platform. Who cares about Windows if you are selling Azure instead and people can run Linux on that?

Re: VS Code inserting 'Co-Authored-by Copilot' into commits regardless of usage

#368

Post by tyre »

hirvi74 wrote: post #324
polski-g wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good point. That fake commit addendum means that the entire commit contents would not be under copyright protection. AI generated code is not currently copyrightable.

Outside this instance, how can one prove code was AI generated beyond a reasonable doubt? Also, do you (or anyone else) know how much AI/copied-code has to be modified for it to be considered independent? If AI generates code, and one just renames some variables/method signatures, then what?

> how can one prove code was AI generated beyond a reasonable doubt?

Subpoena the provider they use.

Even if they don’t retain the full context, they have to save API calls for billing and analytics. If you’re clauding for the hour up to and after the commit, one can reasonably assume you built it with (if not exclusively by) AI.

Re: VS Code inserting 'Co-Authored-by Copilot' into commits regardless of usage

#369

Post by anonymars »

b00ty4breakfast wrote: post #227
ExoticPearTree wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They invested billions. They're scared. They could have shipped a good product with all those billions they spent in reinventing Clippy. I have this feeling that their bet was that all the Microsoft shops will jump on Copilot without looking at alternatives, so they did not really have to make it as good as their competition.

"good" is not important for software anymore, at least in the regular consumer market. Companies have discovered that people will just continue to accept subpar, unfinished and sometimes even partially-functioning software.

Well, now no one has to convince anyone to shell out for upgrades because everything is a subscription. What worked perfectly well can now get replaced out from under you overnight

Re: VS Code inserting 'Co-Authored-by Copilot' into commits regardless of usage

#370

Post by [deleted] »

krupan wrote: post #360
diego_sandoval wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Microsoft spent literal decades rehabilitating their reputation. Mmm... I think I missed that part.

They went from demonizing open source software to buying GitHub, releasing their own open source software (including VSCode), and hosting Linux on Azure. Huge changes! But of course it ends up being another Embrace and Extend move by the masters of that tactic

[deleted]
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