[277395] in TECHWR-L
Re: [TECHWR-L] - Re: Differences in perception of the consequences
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (sereshk 146)
Fri Oct 31 06:19:04 2025
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:19:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: sereshk 146 <sereshk146@gmail.com>
To: TECHWR-L Email Discussion group <techwr-l@techwr-l.com>
Cc: Matt Danda <mdanda@yahoo.com>, Doug Cuff <dgcuff@gmail.com>
Message-Id: <7882780d-a14a-4b89-9f1a-88f7027043ban@techwr-l.com>
In-Reply-To: <2040517779.2115159.1761752560090@mail.yahoo.com>
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Hello Matthew,
just a short comfort, if any: The hype actually is going out of AI, because=
=20
it is really expensive, needs human control and human intervention.
Also, the hopes of quick, fast and high ROIs aren't being fulfilled=20
either...at all.
Try using your favourite AI-search engine (as opposed to a GPT ;) ) and=20
start researching, checking sources on the go as well for this; I like to=
=20
use perplexity.ai now and again, it includes sources to the answer right=20
there and it is easy to check for errors. (Checking sources and possible=20
mistakes with AI is always crucial. As has been mentioned before.)
But of course there are others out there!
It's sure that humans will be needed to control and manage AI, input as=20
well as output. Some required skills in detail may change or need to be=20
adapted.=20
And businesses and managers are starting to realize this, too.
'Prompting' as an example, just for one: You need a good idea of what you=
=20
want to have done/generated, pictures for example, or code solutions. You=
=20
also need enough skills to be able to check the output for correctness.=20
I find it helpful with my previous experience in IT in general and in=20
particular, to think of commands and short sentences to direct someone,=20
then take it from there.=20
The concept of prompting is rather old really... ;) a little like=20
'triggering', only less lightly...or just think why it's called 'command=20
prompt' in other surroundings/interfaces.
In short: Human language is no mathematics and that's what makes it=20
sophisticated, multi-layered - and often just beautiful. Human.
All the best to you and your son and heads up!
Kind Regards
Nina
On Wednesday, 29 October 2025 at 16:42:48 UTC+1 Matt Danda wrote:
> I was curious about your typo because I have been wondering if I could us=
e=20
> AI to transition from technical writer to software developer. I already=
=20
> know quite a lot about the software development industry, but I don't kno=
w=20
> the intricacies of programming. I could leverage AI (combined with my=20
> theoretically superior prompt writing skills) to fill that gap, right?
>
> PS
> My son recently graduated from a good university with a CS degree, and he=
=20
> gave up on finding a coding job after six months. He is now a STEM teache=
r=20
> at an elementary school in Korea. Honestly, that route is probably better=
=20
> suited to his personality, but, still.=20
>
>
>
> *** Matthew Danda
>
>
> On Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 08:56:41 AM MDT, Doug Cuff <
> dgc...@gmail.com> wrote:=20
>
>
> I meant to close with the sentence "But I'm quite a bit happier that I'm=
=20
> NOT starting out as a software developer."
>
> Mea culpa. I left out the not. Again. At least I didn't type "now" when I=
=20
> meant "not."
>
> Doug
>
> On Wednesday, 29 October 2025 at 10:27:30 UTC-4 Doug Cuff wrote:
>
> Long before ChatGPT was a gleam in Sam Altman's eye, the stance of most=
=20
> people including managers was "Anyone can write!" Now that AI is at our=
=20
> throats, the rats are deserting a ship that they perceive to be sinking.=
=20
> Who needs technical writers?
>
> I'm going to try to remain amused as long as I can, especially after a=20
> week in which I learned that software developers are more easily replaced=
=20
> by AI than tech writers are.
>
> One big idea behind BASIC was "Anyone can program!" And that's where I=20
> started. I dabbled with BASIC, with perl, with Inform, with PHP, with SQL=
=20
> queries, and with Python. Not enough to do it for a living, but enough to=
=20
> grasp the portable concepts.
>
> So this week and last, I asked a LLM platform (I won't specify) to code m=
e=20
> up:
>
> - a fix for PowerPoint slides counting up (5) instead of down (2 slides=
=20
> remaining)
> - a Pandoc filter to convert Word tables to Sphinx's list-tables (because=
=20
> my Pandoc doesn't support the --list-tables argument)
>
> It went fast. It went faster because I knew enough about programming to=
=20
> spot some incorrect assumptions and fix bugs, but it still went fast. It=
=20
> went slower because I kept adding robustness checks and because I caved t=
o=20
> endless suggestions to improve, but it still went fast.
>
> Sure, I'm happy I'm not twenty-somethin' years old and starting out as a=
=20
> technical writer. But I'm quite a bit happier that I'm starting out as a=
=20
> software developer.
>
> --=20
> TechWR-L is the =E2=80=9CTechnical Writers List=E2=80=9D =E2=80=94 an ema=
il discussion list=20
> focused on all issues in technical communicatio
> ---=20
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> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an=
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> email to techwr-l+u...@techwr-l.com.
> To view this discussion visit=20
>
> https://groups.google.com/a/techwr-l.com/d/msgid/techwr-l/5298a08e-e896-4=
fd8-adf1-16f6ce549dddn%40techwr-l.com=20
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> .
>
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<div>Hello Matthew,</div><div><br /></div><div>just a short comfort, if any=
: The hype actually is going out of AI, because it is really expensive, nee=
ds human control and human intervention.</div><div>Also, the hopes of quick=
, fast and high ROIs aren't being fulfilled either...at all.</div><div><br =
/></div><div>Try using your favourite AI-search engine (as opposed to a GPT=
;) ) and start researching, checking sources on the go as well for this; I=
like to use perplexity.ai now and again, it includes sources to the answer=
right there and it is easy to check for errors. (Checking sources and poss=
ible mistakes with AI is always crucial. As has been mentioned before.)</di=
v><div></div><div>But of course there are others out there!</div><div><br /=
></div><div>It's sure that humans will be needed to control and manage AI, =
input as well as output. Some required skills in detail may change or need =
to be adapted.=C2=A0</div><div>And businesses and managers are starting to =
realize this, too.</div><div><br />'Prompting' as an example, just for one:=
You need a good idea of what you want to have done/generated, pictures for=
example, or code solutions. You also need enough skills to be able to chec=
k the output for correctness.=C2=A0<br />I find it helpful with my previous=
experience in IT in general and in particular, to think of commands and sh=
ort sentences to direct someone, then take it from there.=C2=A0<br />The co=
ncept of prompting is rather old really... ;) a little like 'triggering', o=
nly less lightly...or just think why it's called 'command prompt' in other =
surroundings/interfaces.</div><div><br /></div><div>In short: Human languag=
e is no mathematics and that's what makes it sophisticated, multi-layered -=
and often just beautiful. Human.</div><div><br /></div><div>All the best t=
o you and your son and heads up!</div><div><br /></div><div>Kind Regards</d=
iv><div>Nina</div><br /><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"auto" class=
=3D"gmail_attr">On Wednesday, 29 October 2025 at 16:42:48 UTC+1 Matt Danda =
wrote:<br/></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin: 0 0 0 0=
.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"><div><=
div style=3D"font-family:Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-siz=
e:16px"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div dir=3D"ltr">I was curious about you=
r typo because I have been wondering if I could use AI to transition from t=
echnical writer to software developer. I already know quite a lot about the=
software development industry, but I don't know the intricacies of pro=
gramming. I could leverage AI (combined with my theoretically superior prom=
pt writing skills) to fill that gap, right?</div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br></div=
><div dir=3D"ltr">PS</div><div dir=3D"ltr">My son recently graduated from a=
good university with a CS degree, and he gave up on finding a coding job a=
fter six months. He is now a STEM teacher at an elementary school in Korea.=
Honestly, that route is probably better suited to his personality, but, st=
ill.=C2=A0</div><div><br style=3D"font-family:Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Aria=
l,sans-serif;font-size:16px"></div></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>*** =
Matthew Danda</div></div>
<div><br></div><div><br></div>
=20
<div>
<div style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Ar=
ial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"></div></div></div></div><div><div style=3D"f=
ont-family:Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div><=
div style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-seri=
f;font-size:13px">
=20
<div>
On Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 08:56:41 AM MDT, Doug=
Cuff <<a href data-email-masked rel=3D"nofollow">dgc...@gmail.com</a>&g=
t; wrote:
</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
</div></div></div></div><div><div style=3D"font-family:Helv=
etica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div><div style=3D"fo=
nt-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13p=
x"><div><div><div><div>I meant to close with the sentence "But I'm=
quite a bit happier that I'm NOT starting out as a software developer.=
"</div><div><br clear=3D"none"></div><div>Mea culpa. I left out the no=
t. Again. At least I didn't type "now" when I meant "not=
."</div><div><br clear=3D"none"></div><div>Doug</div><div><br clear=3D=
"none"></div><div><div><div>On Wednesday, 29 October 2025 at 10:27:30 UTC-4=
Doug Cuff wrote:<br clear=3D"none"></div><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0=
0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div>Long b=
efore ChatGPT was a gleam in Sam Altman's eye, the stance of most peopl=
e including managers was "Anyone can write!" Now that AI is at ou=
r throats, the rats are deserting a ship that they perceive to be sinking. =
Who needs technical writers?</div><div><br clear=3D"none"></div><div>I'=
m going to try to remain amused as long as I can, especially after a week i=
n which I learned that software developers are more easily replaced by AI t=
han tech writers are.</div><div><br clear=3D"none"></div><div>One big idea =
behind BASIC was "Anyone can program!" And that's where I sta=
rted. I dabbled with BASIC, with perl, with Inform, with PHP, with SQL quer=
ies, and with Python. Not enough to do it for a living, but enough to grasp=
the portable concepts.</div><div><br clear=3D"none"></div><div>So this wee=
k and last, I asked a LLM platform (I won't specify) to code me up:</di=
v><div><br clear=3D"none"></div><div>- a fix for PowerPoint slides counting=
up (5) instead of down (2 slides remaining)</div><div>- a Pandoc filter to=
convert Word tables to Sphinx's list-tables (because my Pandoc doesn&#=
39;t support the --list-tables argument)</div><div><br clear=3D"none"></div=
><div>It went fast. It went faster because I knew enough about programming =
to spot some incorrect assumptions and fix bugs, but it still went fast. It=
went slower because I kept adding robustness checks and because I caved to=
endless suggestions to improve, but it still went fast.</div><div><br clea=
r=3D"none"></div><div>Sure, I'm happy I'm not twenty-somethin' =
years old and starting out as a technical writer. But I'm quite a bit h=
appier that I'm starting out as a software developer.</div></blockquote=
></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div style=3D"f=
ont-family:Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div><=
div style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-seri=
f;font-size:13px"><div><div><div><div>
<p></p>
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</div></div></div></div>
</div>
</div></div></div></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
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