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"Are LLMs the end of computer programming (as we know it)?", ask our overlords at Stack Exchange Inc, through the person of Ben Popper (sp?), the Director-of-Content, and Ryan Donovan, blog editor.

Well, the magic 8-ball says:

I don't think so.

and if that reply sounds ridiculous, conceited, dismissive, worthless and irrelevant - that's how the question sounds to a community of, well, computer programmers. It's always nice to be reminded of what the company thinks of us and our craft.

Then we're told how the typical software engineer is paid 200,000 USD/year. In fact, even if we only took the 10 highest-paying countries for SW development work, according to this report, that's three times the average.

TBH, the conversation is less derogatory than the title. But it is still quite the ridiculous premise to even phrase this way; and the "director of content" is the person who chooses the title - which is what all site visitors see.

How about we get a podcast episode entitled Will automation and LLMs be the end of centrally-controlled corporations (as we know them) and fluff content generators (as we know them)?

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    You still read SO blog posts? And take them seriously? Commented Dec 7, 2023 at 23:37
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    Wait, is it a blog? For real? I thought it was the SO propaganda hub. Commented Dec 8, 2023 at 0:40
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    Side note: someone created "frustration" - since you are using that tag please edit it with good usage guidance and the rest of info for tag's wiki. Commented Dec 8, 2023 at 0:40
  • Dead are all the blogs: Now do we desire the Overman to live. Commented Dec 8, 2023 at 0:53
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    I forgot that SO blog exists. Thanks for reminding me. Commented Dec 8, 2023 at 1:21
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    I wish I was earning that much. Commented Dec 8, 2023 at 1:22
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    Maybe people are lying their asses off when filling out the annual SO surveys. Commented Dec 8, 2023 at 1:27
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    It isn't a real blog post. It is the show notes for a podcast episode. Commented Dec 8, 2023 at 3:41
  • Do we have "announcement" as a type of a post which doesn't require answers? I think posting this is pointless, but maybe it was made as "announcement ", it would better reflect the post's nature and lack of any discussion expectations. Commented Dec 8, 2023 at 5:52
  • @user4581301: Maybe only the rich fill out the survey? Commented Dec 8, 2023 at 8:59
  • "Then we're told how the typical software engineer is paid 200,000 USD/year. " ... senior software engineer, Google tells me. That's a slightly smaller net to cast, but I'm still flabbergasted because for regular mortals it's still 140k apparently. Commented Dec 8, 2023 at 14:10
  • @Gimby: I'd be interested in seeing the data saying that a even a "senior software engineer" makes over 4x as much as a software engineer overall. Commented Dec 8, 2023 at 16:24
  • I don't even come close to 200K in Canadian dollars. Commented Dec 8, 2023 at 22:03
  • @einpoklum the same source claims that regular engineers make 140k, in the US. What I suspect is that the number in the blog was pulled out of the hat by doing the same quick Google that I did. Highly suspicious numbers, I can make a guess they are only true for a very specific and small area of the US. Commented Dec 12, 2023 at 10:37
  • @Gimby: <sarcasm>Surely you don't mean to imply that the StackExchange people are so myopic as to pretend that only the SF Bay Area matters and they can ignore the rest of the world... </sarcasm> Commented Dec 12, 2023 at 11:54

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