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After we get through this slop phase, I think software engineering won’t be about code at all, if it even exists as a profession. Feels like the beginning of th

After we get through this slop phase, I think software engineering won’t be about code at all, if it even exists as a profession. Feels like the beginning of the end for the craft.

avaer 2mo ago
The meaning of code will change. Maybe it will get a new name. Software hasn't been about "real code" (asm) for a long time; yes, this was a common opinion when HLL's and compilers were starting.
- drdaeman 2mo ago
  > “real code” (asm) You meant actual bytecode? Assembly doesn’t exactly map to in 1:1. x86’s mov eax, ebx is the classic example that has two ways of being encoded. Not to mention sections, labels and all the other fancies.
  - avaer 2mo ago
    That's correct but a bit nitpicky. We could talk about punchcards too, but I'm not old enough to credibly make that reference :)
    - drdaeman 2mo ago
      :-) I could be wrong, but AFAIK, switchboards^W patch panels were the OG programming method.
      - catlifeonmars 2mo ago
        Cam shafts predate them.
      - estebarb 2mo ago
        Real programmers use butterflies (mandatory xkcd reference) https://xkcd.com/378/ https://xkcd.com/378/
mvkel 2mo ago
No way. It's simply another layer of abstraction. You don't code in binary, or assembly, or C, or vanilla JavaScript anymore. Eventually "coding" will simply be prompting skill with the wisdom of architectural decisions. That's also one way to describe what it's like to code with React et al these days, anyway. Component/hook selection skill with the wisdom of architectural decisions.
- MobiusHorizons 2mo ago
  People code in assembly and c and vanilla JavaScript all the time. You may not, but none of those are even that niche of skills. I’ve even decoded machine code from binary (well hexadecimal, but a raw memory dump) by hand a few times when I didn’t have a disassembler handy. Layers of abstraction don’t prevent the need to understand the layer below, they just reduce the number of times it is necessary, which may allow delegating that knowledge to a smaller pool of people.
  - deleted 2mo ago
    [deleted]

After we get through this slop phase, I think software engineering won’t be about code at all, if it even exists as a profession. Feels like the beginning of the end for the craft.

avaer 2mo ago

The meaning of code will change. Maybe it will get a new name. Software hasn't been about "real code" (asm) for a long time; yes, this was a common opinion when HLL's and compilers were starting.

drdaeman 2mo ago
> “real code” (asm) You meant actual bytecode? Assembly doesn’t exactly map to in 1:1. x86’s mov eax, ebx is the classic example that has two ways of being encoded. Not to mention sections, labels and all the other fancies.
- avaer 2mo ago
  That's correct but a bit nitpicky. We could talk about punchcards too, but I'm not old enough to credibly make that reference :)
  - drdaeman 2mo ago
    :-) I could be wrong, but AFAIK, switchboards^W patch panels were the OG programming method.
    - catlifeonmars 2mo ago
      Cam shafts predate them.
    - estebarb 2mo ago
      Real programmers use butterflies (mandatory xkcd reference) https://xkcd.com/378/ https://xkcd.com/378/

mvkel 2mo ago

No way. It's simply another layer of abstraction. You don't code in binary, or assembly, or C, or vanilla JavaScript anymore. Eventually "coding" will simply be prompting skill with the wisdom of architectural decisions. That's also one way to describe what it's like to code with React et al these days, anyway. Component/hook selection skill with the wisdom of architectural decisions.

MobiusHorizons 2mo ago
People code in assembly and c and vanilla JavaScript all the time. You may not, but none of those are even that niche of skills. I’ve even decoded machine code from binary (well hexadecimal, but a raw memory dump) by hand a few times when I didn’t have a disassembler handy. Layers of abstraction don’t prevent the need to understand the layer below, they just reduce the number of times it is necessary, which may allow delegating that knowledge to a smaller pool of people.
- deleted 2mo ago
  [deleted]