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Comment by y42

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Comment by y42

Most comments already explained it, however:

No! It's a common misunderstanding (imho) that software development is about "writing code" or knowing a programming language's syntax. It never was, it never will be. I experienced this misunderstanding:

I never studied CS or IT or anything related. All my skills are self taught, starting when I was a litle boy. When I was young, I had problems getting into this busines, because HR and recruiters where tasking me with "Write this <x> using this <y>". They wanted to see A grades from 6 years of a master in CS.

Well. I am not that guy that memorizes syntax or coding rules. My approach is very different - and so are many, I assume. And this is what software development is about: You get a problem and you find a way to solve it. At many stations in my professional career I was able to proof that. I "mastered" Pascal from the scratch, on the job. Same goes for VBA, Shell scripting, Python, PHP, JavaScript... you name it.

It may sound arrogant - but then you misunderstood what I am trying to say: The language, the syntax, the coding rules are just "tools" for me. I don't care what I use. I focus on the problem.

Isn't it the same as "Write this <x> using this <y>" you may ask? No. Because this expects a specific solution. Not saying this will not lead to a result. It just a very narrow view on the solution.

There are good software developers that can answer those questions "Write this <x> using this <y>". That's not the point. The point is: There are also great software developers who can't.

With AI you don't have to worry to memorize syntax or rules. You can focus on the problem solving process.

So, AI is changing how software will be created. It make it more efficient. And it changes how HR and recruites hopefully will look at this profession. It's not about A grades in a CS class.

Replies y42 · 2026-05-06
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