[koolba]

The software version of this (pre-LLM!) was to write tons of software till the patterns just click. I don’t see that continuing though.

Does anyone truly think we’ll have another generation of nerds hacking away for hours by hand to hone their trade? Or will it turn into a craft like woodworking?

[hombre_fatal]

I don’t see how “artisanal” software would make sense since what matters is the end result.

One of the worst parts of software is that you develop this deep expertise in something that has less to show for it to people than a guy dicking around on a guitar or someone who made a stool after 40 hours of experience.

People aren’t decompiling their iPhone apps to admire your handiwork and evaluate how thoughtfully you modeled the domain.

Will artisanal human-driven taxi drivers exist in the future? No, Waymo is even more expensive yet people prefer it. The human aspect turns out to be a liability and less of a human expression people would go out of their way to experience.

[MobiusHorizons]

Why not? People have lots of hobbies.

[knuckle]

If I'm being honest, software was a hobby before it was a profession. I just thought computers were fun from about age 10 or so. In college I wanted to study Civil engineering, but shifted to Computer engineering and then it turned out the world wanted software so bad they'd let me do whatever I wanted as long as I gave them a little software along the way.

I see my sons tinkering with software now in the same way I did. They want to play games and make games and build their own tools. I don't know whether they'll wind up building software as a profession, but I'm sure they'll have the base skills needed to.