[simonw]

Knowing what "optimizing a PostgreSQL server's configuration" even means continues to be high value technical knowledge.

Knowing how to "run an agentic loop to optimize the config file" is meaningless techno-jabber to 99.99% of the world's population.

I am entirely unconcerned for my future career prospects.

[lomase]

So your big advantage is that nobody has lauched agentic tools for the end user yet?

[simonw]

Anyone can learn to unblock a sink by watching YouTube videos these days, and yet most people still hire a professional to do it for them.

I don't think end users want to "optimize their PostgreSQL servers" even if they DID know that's a thing they can do. They want to hire experts who know how to make "that tech stuff" work.

[lomase]

I agree that people like to hire profesionals. That is why I hire db experts to work on our infra, not prompt engenieers.

Saying that anybody can learn to unblock a sink by watching youtube is your tipical HN mentality of stating opinons as facts.

[simonw]

"Saying that anybody can learn to unblock a sink by watching youtube is your tipical HN mentality of stating opinons as facts."

I don't understand what you mean. Are you saying that it's not true that anyone could learn to unblock a sink by watching YouTube videos?

[lomase]

Yes I do think not all people could fix it with Youtube. My grandma couldn't for example. I had a neigbor come for help with something like that too.

Is not that hard to understan mate. Maybe put my comment in the LLM so you can get it.

What is your point again?

[simonw]

My analogy holds up. Anyone could type "optimize my PostgreSQL database by editing the configuration file" into an LLM, but most people won't - same as most people won't watch YouTube to figure out how to unblock a sink.

If you don't like the sink analogy what analogy would you use instead for this? I'm confident there's a "people could learn X from YouTube but chose to pay someone else instead" that's more effective than the sink one.

[simonw]

Personally I'd like to hire a DB expert who also knows how to drive an agentic coding system to help them accelerate their work. AI tools, used correctly, act as an amplifier of existing knowledge and experience.

[lomase]

As far as I know nobody has really came up with proof that LLMs act as an amplifier of existing knoledge.

It does make people FEEL more productive.

[simonw]

What would a "proof" of that even look like?

There are thousands (probably millions) of us walking around with anecdotal personal evidence at this point.

[cdelsolar]

you can become a db expert with the right prompts

[lomase]

You can learn how to pour a drink in 1 minute, that is why most bartenders earn minimum wage.

You can't become a db expert with a promt.

I hope you make a lot of money with your lies and good luck.

[simonw]

You can become a DB expert by reading books, forums and practicing hard.

These days you can replace those books and forums with a top tier LLM, but you still need to put in the practice yourself. Even with AI assistance that's still a lot of work.