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Now might be the best time to learn software development

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Re: Now might be the best time to learn software development

#41

Post by dijksterhuis »

bitpush wrote: post #17
psunavy03 wrote: post #14

"Great news, boss! We invented this new tool that allows nontechnical people to write code in English! Now anyone can deploy applications, and we don't have to hire all those expensive developers!" "Wow, show it to me!" "OK here it is. We call it COBOL."

Bravo. This is the exact sentiment I have, but you expressed in a way that I could never have. Most people miss the fact that technical improvements increases the pie in a way that was not possible before. When digital cameras became popular, everybody become a photographer. That only made the world better, and we got soo many more good photographers. Same with YouTube & creativity. And same with coding & LLMs. World…

> That only made the world better

Did it?

people now stand around on dance floors taking photos and videos of themselves instead of getting on dancing and enjoying the music. to the point where clubs put stickers on phones to stop people from doing it.

people taking their phone out and videoing / photographing something awful happening, instead of doing something helpful.

people travel to remote areas where the population has been separated from humanity and do stupid things like leave a can of coke there, for view count.

it’s not made things better, it just made things different. whether that’s better or worse depends on your individual perspective for a given example.

so, i disagree. it hasn’t only made things better. it made some things easier. some things better. some things worse. some things harder.

someone always loses, something is always lost. would be good if more people in tech remembered that progress comes at a cost.

Re: Now might be the best time to learn software development

#42

Post by munificent »

bitpush wrote: post #17
psunavy03 wrote: post #14

"Great news, boss! We invented this new tool that allows nontechnical people to write code in English! Now anyone can deploy applications, and we don't have to hire all those expensive developers!" "Wow, show it to me!" "OK here it is. We call it COBOL."

Bravo. This is the exact sentiment I have, but you expressed in a way that I could never have. Most people miss the fact that technical improvements increases the pie in a way that was not possible before. When digital cameras became popular, everybody become a photographer. That only made the world better, and we got soo many more good photographers. Same with YouTube & creativity. And same with coding & LLMs. World…

> That only made the world better, and we got soo many more good photographers.

I disagree with the "only" part here. Imagine a distribution curve of photos with shitty photos on the left and masterpieces on the right and the height at the curve is how many photos there are to be seen at that quality.

The digital camera transition massively increased the height of the curve at all points. And thanks to things like better autofocus, better low light performance, and a radically faster iteration loop, it probably shift the low and middle ends to the right.

It even certainly increased the number number of breathtaking, life-changing photos out there. Digital cameras are game-changes for photographic journalists traveling in difficult locations.

However... the curve is so high now, the sheer volume of tolerably good photos so overwhelming, that I suspect that average person actually sees fewer great photos than they did twenty years ago. We all spend hours scrolling past nice-but-forgottable sunset shots on Instagram and miss out on the amazing stuff.

We are drowning in a sea of "pretty good". It is possible for there to be too much media. Ultimately, we all have a finite amount of attention to spend before we die.

Re: Now might be the best time to learn software development

#45

Post by alganet »

> and now with far greater reach and speed than ever before

I heard that before. Borland Delphi, Microsoft FrontPage, Macromedia Flash and so on. I learned how in 5 years or so, these new technologies would dominate everything.

Then I learned that two scenarios exist. One of them is "being replaced by a tool", the other is "being orphaned by a tool". You need to be prepared for both.

Re: Now might be the best time to learn software development

#46

Post by bazoom42 »

dredmorbius wrote: post #37
glimshe wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're joking but it's true. I'm sure you know that. SQL had similar claims... Declarative, say what you need and the computer will do for you. Also written in English.

I'd long ago (1990s-era) heard that the original intent was that office secretaries would write their own SQL queries. (I'd love for someone to substantiate or debunk this for me.)

Early on, programming was considered secretarial work.

Re: Now might be the best time to learn software development

#47

Post by billy99k »

emseetech wrote: post #44

Upwork is already filling up with people who have vibe-coded their way into a pit and need experienced developers to pull them out.

You can find good contract on Upwork, but you need to go through lots of bad ones. I find around 5 good contracts there per year. I find that even when a client agrees on a rate, Upwork has the reputation of finding inexpensive workers, and you will get many clients trying to pay you less.

I'm also a bit tired of running into people that are 'starting a contracting firm' and have 0 clients or direction yet and just want to waste your time.

Re: Now might be the best time to learn software development

#48

Post by pipes »

bitpush wrote: post #17
psunavy03 wrote: post #14

"Great news, boss! We invented this new tool that allows nontechnical people to write code in English! Now anyone can deploy applications, and we don't have to hire all those expensive developers!" "Wow, show it to me!" "OK here it is. We call it COBOL."

Bravo. This is the exact sentiment I have, but you expressed in a way that I could never have. Most people miss the fact that technical improvements increases the pie in a way that was not possible before. When digital cameras became popular, everybody become a photographer. That only made the world better, and we got soo many more good photographers. Same with YouTube & creativity. And same with coding & LLMs. World…

I thought photographers don't get paid well anymore due market saturation and few skills required to get a good photo?

Re: Now might be the best time to learn software development

#49

Post by thangalin »

dijksterhuis wrote: post #41
bitpush wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bravo. This is the exact sentiment I have, but you expressed in a way that I could never have. Most people miss the fact that technical improvements increases the pie in a way that was not possible before. When digital cameras became popular, everybody become a photographer. That only made the world better, and we got soo many more good photographers. Same with YouTube & creativity. And same with coding & LLMs. World…

> That only made the world better Did it? people now stand around on dance floors taking photos and videos of themselves instead of getting on dancing and enjoying the music. to the point where clubs put stickers on phones to stop people from doing it. people taking their phone out and videoing / photographing something awful happening, instead of doing something helpful. people travel to remote areas where the popul…

> people now stand around on dance floors taking photos and videos of themselves instead of getting on dancing and enjoying the music. to the point where clubs put stickers on phones to stop people from doing it.

There are other types of dances where dancers are far more interested in the dance than selfies: Lindy Hop, Blues, Balboa, Tango, Waltz, Jive, Zouk, Contra, and West Coast Swing to name a few. Here are videos from the Blues dance I help organize where none of the dancers are filming themselves:

* https://www.facebook.com/61558260095218/videos/7409340551418...

* https://www.facebook.com/reel/3659488930863692

Re: Now might be the best time to learn software development

#50

Post by temporallobe »

Essentially it’s the same as it always was. Back in the day, Low-code or No-code solutions implemented by non-technical people have always resulted in engineers having to come in behind them to clean up their mess. I’ve had quite the lucrative career doing just that.
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