[Rocka24]

I strongly disagree, I was able to learn so much about web development by using AI, it streamlines the entire knowledge gathering and dissemination process. By asking for general overviews then poking into the specifics of why things work the way they do, its possible to get an extremely functional and practical knowledge of almost any application of programming. For the driven and ambitious hacker, LLMs are practically invaluable when it comes to self learning. I think you have a case where you're simply dealing with the classic self-inflicting malady of laziness.

[jay_kyburz]

When I ask AI questions about things I know very little, I seem to get quite good results. When I ask it questions about things I know a lot about, I get quite bad answers.

[lovethevoid]

What have you learned about web development using AI that skimming the MDN docs couldn't net you?

[Rocka24]

Well the issue isn't about acquiring the knowledge in general. I think so far in my learning journey I've come to realize that "practical learning" is much better than learning in the hopes that something will be useful. For instance, almost everyone in the American education system at some point was forced to memorize that one mol of gas occupies 22.4 L at STP but almost noone will ever use that knowledge again.

Going through the actual real world issues of web development with an LLM on the side that you can query for any issue is infinitely more valuable than taking a course in web development imo because you actually learn how to DO the things, instead of getting a toolbox which half of the items you don't use ever and a quarter of which you have no idea how to functionally use. I strongly support learning by doing and I also think that the education system should be changed in support of that idea.

[righthand]

There are plenty of courses, classes, and schooling as you dewcribe, it’s just a matter of cost. A LLM is more useful for studying because it feels interactive however a lot of software development in general is applying what learned and what you need.

If you want to spend 10 years growing your career and understanding math with the help of an LLM you will work it out eventually, by gambling on your role at a company and their offering of projects.

If you want to spend 6 months - 6 years understanding the pieces you need for a professional career at various levels (hence the range), you pay for that kind of education.

[albedoa]

So...are you able to articulate what you have learned about web development through LLMs that skimming MDN wouldn't net you?

Your "strong" disagreement and claim that you were able to learn so much about web development by using AI should be able to withstand simple and obvious followup questions such as "like what?".

[briandear]

“Tell me how MVC works” is far better than reading MDN documents. “Show me how to build a basic command line application.” “Tell me about polymorphism and give me some examples on how to use it.” “Teach me the basics on how to build an authentication system.” An LLM is great at that.

Reading MDM docs doesn’t put any context around what you’re reading. And reading all the docs doesn’t teach you any more than reading a dictionary teaches you how to write.

Docs are a reference, they really aren’t a place to start when you don’t know what you’re reading. Besides it’s boring.

You don’t learn Russian by reading Tolstoy. You read Tolstoy once you have some idea of what the words mean.

[albedoa]

Everyone understands that, Brian! If i told you that "I was able to learn so much about Russian by using AI", would you expect that I SHOULD or SHOULD NOT be able to tell you something about what I've learned without writing multiple paragraphs about something else entirely? We are now four levels deep from the actual question.

[nathanasmith]

My experience using LLMs to learn is similar. When I read MDN or some O'Reilly tome I get a lot of information but it's in the general sense. I can use what I've learned to build some specific project and it'll work but because the book isn't tailored to the specific thing I'm doing, there will often be a much better way. The LLM on the other hand gives an answer as specific as I'm willing to give it context for and since I know software engineering as a discipline I know when the specific suggestion from the LLM is far superior to the more general method learned in the text book.

[lovethevoid]

MDN is like the gold standard in free practical real world application learning lol

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn

[briandear]

Skimming docs is like reading the dictionary. AI is more like a conversation.

[sibeliuss]

Who wants to read all of those docs that they know nothing about?

Better: use an LLM, get something working, realize it doesn't work _exactly_ as you need it to, then refer to docs. Beginners will need to learn this, however. They still need to learn to think. But practical application and a true desire to build will get them to where they need to be.