[277390] in TECHWR-L
[TECHWR-L] - Re: Differences in perception of the consequences large
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Doug Cuff)
Wed Oct 29 10:56:46 2025
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2025 07:56:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Cuff <dgcuff@gmail.com>
To: TECHWR-L Email Discussion group <techwr-l@techwr-l.com>
Cc: Doug Cuff <dgcuff@gmail.com>
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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
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<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 /></div><div>Me=
a culpa. I left out the not. Again. At least I didn't type "now" when I mea=
nt "not."</div><div><br /></div><div>Doug</div><div><br /></div><div class=
=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"auto" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Wednesday, 29 Oc=
tober 2025 at 10:27:30 UTC-4 Doug Cuff wrote:<br/></div><blockquote class=
=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin: 0 0 0 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(2=
04, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"><div>Long before ChatGPT was a gleam in =
Sam Altman's eye, the stance of most people including managers was &quo=
t;Anyone can write!" Now that AI is at our throats, the rats are deser=
ting a ship that they perceive to be sinking. Who needs technical writers?<=
/div><div><br></div><div>I'm going to try to remain amused as long as I=
can, especially after a week in which I learned that software developers a=
re more easily replaced by AI than tech writers are.</div><div><br></div><d=
iv>One big idea behind BASIC was "Anyone can program!" And that&#=
39;s where I started. I dabbled with BASIC, with perl, with Inform, with PH=
P, with SQL queries, and with Python. Not enough to do it for a living, but=
enough to grasp the portable concepts.</div><div><br></div><div>So this we=
ek and last, I asked a LLM platform (I won't specify) to code me up:</d=
iv><div><br></div><div>- a fix for PowerPoint slides counting up (5) instea=
d of down (2 slides remaining)</div><div>- a Pandoc filter to convert Word =
tables to Sphinx's list-tables (because my Pandoc doesn't support t=
he --list-tables argument)</div><div><br></div><div>It went fast. It went f=
aster because I knew enough about programming to spot some incorrect assump=
tions and fix bugs, but it still went fast. It went slower because I kept a=
dding robustness checks and because I caved to endless suggestions to impro=
ve, but it still went fast.</div><div><br></div><div>Sure, I'm happy I&=
#39;m not twenty-somethin' years old and starting out as a technical wr=
iter. But I'm quite a bit happier that I'm starting out as a softwa=
re developer.</div></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
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