[277393] in TECHWR-L
Re: [TECHWR-L] - Re: Differences in perception of the consequences
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU ('Matt Danda' via TECHWR-L Email Di)
Wed Oct 29 11:42:54 2025
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2025 15:42:40 +0000 (UTC)
From: "'Matt Danda' via TECHWR-L Email Discussion group" <techwr-l@techwr-l.com>
To: TECHWR-L Email Discussion group <techwr-l@techwr-l.com>
Cc: Doug Cuff <dgcuff@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <2040517779.2115159.1761752560090@mail.yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <5298a08e-e896-4fd8-adf1-16f6ce549dddn@techwr-l.com>
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I was curious about your typo because I have been wondering if I could use =
AI to transition from technical writer to software developer. I already kno=
w quite a lot about the software development industry, but I don't know the=
intricacies of programming. I could leverage AI (combined with my theoreti=
cally superior prompt writing skills) to fill that gap, right?
PSMy son recently graduated from a good university with a CS degree, and he=
gave up on finding a coding job after 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, still.=C2=A0
*** Matthew Danda=20
On Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 08:56:41 AM MDT, Doug Cuff <dgcuff@gm=
ail.com> wrote: =20
=20
I meant to close with the sentence "But I'm quite a bit happier that I'm N=
OT starting out as a software developer."
Mea culpa. I left out the not. Again. At least I didn't type "now" when I m=
eant "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 peo=
ple including managers was "Anyone can write!" Now that AI is at our throat=
s, the rats are deserting a ship that they perceive to be sinking. Who need=
s technical writers?
I'm going to try to remain amused as long as I can, especially after a week=
in which I learned that software developers are more easily replaced by AI=
than tech writers are.
One big idea behind BASIC was "Anyone can program!" And that's where I star=
ted. I dabbled with BASIC, with perl, with Inform, with PHP, with SQL queri=
es, and with Python. Not enough to do it for a living, but enough to grasp =
the portable concepts.
So this week and last, I asked a LLM platform (I won't specify) to code me =
up:
- a fix for PowerPoint slides counting up (5) instead of down (2 slides rem=
aining)- a Pandoc filter to convert Word tables to Sphinx's list-tables (be=
cause my Pandoc doesn't support the --list-tables argument)
It went fast. It went faster because I knew enough about programming to spo=
t 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 endle=
ss suggestions to improve, but it still went fast.
Sure, I'm happy I'm not twenty-somethin' years old and starting out as a te=
chnical writer. But I'm quite a bit happier that I'm starting out as a soft=
ware developer.
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<html><head></head><body><div class=3D"ydp53dd8d38yahoo-style-wrap" style=
=3D"font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:16px=
;"><div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false"><div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-s=
etdir=3D"false">I was curious about your typo because I have been wondering=
if I could use AI to transition from technical writer to software develope=
r. I already know quite a lot about the software development industry, but =
I don't know the intricacies of programming. I could leverage AI (combined =
with my theoretically superior prompt writing skills) to fill that gap, rig=
ht?</div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr" =
data-setdir=3D"false">PS</div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false">My son=
recently graduated from a good university with a CS degree, and he gave up=
on finding a coding job after six months. He is now a STEM teacher at an e=
lementary school in Korea. Honestly, that route is probably better suited t=
o his personality, but, still. </div><div><br style=3D"font-family: He=
lvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></div></div><=
br></div><div><br></div><div class=3D"ydp53dd8d38signature">*** Matthew Dan=
da</div></div>
<div><br></div><div><br></div>
=20
<div id=3D"ydp53dd8d38yahoo_quoted_2402723192" class=3D"ydp53dd8d38=
yahoo_quoted">
<div style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, s=
ans-serif;font-size:13px;">
=20
<div>
On Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 08:56:41 AM MDT, Doug=
Cuff <dgcuff@gmail.com> wrote:
</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><div id=3D"ydp53dd8d38yiv9377614758"><div><div>I meant=
to close with the sentence "But I'm quite a bit happier that I'm NOT start=
ing out as a software developer."</div><div><br clear=3D"none"></div><div>M=
ea culpa. I left out the not. Again. At least I didn't type "now" when I me=
ant "not."</div><div><br clear=3D"none"></div><div>Doug</div><div><br clear=
=3D"none"></div><div class=3D"ydp53dd8d38yiv9377614758gmail_quote"><div id=
=3D"ydp53dd8d38yiv9377614758yqtfd68013" class=3D"ydp53dd8d38yiv9377614758yq=
t6476419205"><div class=3D"ydp53dd8d38yiv9377614758gmail_attr">On Wednesday=
, 29 October 2025 at 10:27:30 UTC-4 Doug Cuff wrote:<br clear=3D"none"></di=
v><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204, 20=
4, 204);padding-left:1ex;" class=3D"ydp53dd8d38yiv9377614758gmail_quote"><d=
iv>Long before ChatGPT was a gleam in Sam Altman's eye, the stance of most =
people including managers was "Anyone can write!" Now that AI is at our thr=
oats, the rats are deserting a ship that they perceive to be sinking. Who n=
eeds technical writers?</div><div><br clear=3D"none"></div><div>I'm going t=
o try to remain amused as long as I can, especially after a week in which I=
learned that software developers are more easily replaced by AI than tech =
writers are.</div><div><br clear=3D"none"></div><div>One big idea behind BA=
SIC was "Anyone can program!" And that's where I started. I dabbled with BA=
SIC, with perl, with Inform, with PHP, with SQL queries, and with Python. N=
ot enough to do it for a living, but enough to grasp the portable concepts.=
</div><div><br clear=3D"none"></div><div>So this week and last, I asked a L=
LM platform (I won't specify) to code me up:</div><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 Sph=
inx's list-tables (because my Pandoc doesn't support the --list-tables argu=
ment)</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, bu=
t it still went fast.</div><div><br clear=3D"none"></div><div>Sure, I'm hap=
py I'm not twenty-somethin' years old and starting out as a technical write=
r. But I'm quite a bit happier that I'm starting out as a software develope=
r.</div></blockquote></div></div><div id=3D"ydp53dd8d38yiv9377614758yqtfd30=
589" class=3D"ydp53dd8d38yiv9377614758yqt6476419205">
<p></p>
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