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> As a developer, I much prefer to write code than read other people’s code Developers should review and learn from each others’ code, that’s how you progress.

> As a developer, I much prefer to write code than read other people’s code Developers should review and learn from each others’ code, that’s how you progress. Even as a senior, I’m still happy when I read code written by juniors because everyone learns. I’m also confused by this hype. I tried a 2-lines sample of very basic C++ code, and the tool gave me: 1/3 obvious explanation, 1/3 wrong, and 1/3 right. So, it’s at most 66% right but not useful to me. I guess it’s meant for non-developers, or for a quick summary if you’re stuck in your tasks. But overall it’s way too basic to be useful at the moment. I’ll sound like a Luddite but you don’t learn anything from those tools: no struggling (which is IMHO essential to acquire knowledge), no searching, nothing that you’ll remember. I’m confused on who the target audience really is.

siva7 4y ago
I don't understand how people often assume you need to struggle in order to acquire knowledge. Maybe you don't?
- throwaway675309 4y ago
  There's a difference between acquiring knowledge and acquiring understanding. And there's lots of research to support the idea that working through concepts on your own helps aid in long-term retention.
  - colmvp 4y ago
    Yeah I'm not sure why that's controversial. I have a plethora of books on programming languages. Know what helped me learn it the most? Solving small bugs on open source projects. If I told an AI to code the solution in the language of choice, I would solve the problem but not truly comprehend the subtleties of why the decision was made. Even when it tells me why it did something, I guarantee you I'd forget about it in a few hours if not by the following day. An AI doing a code review is one thing I could say would've helped me, but an AI solving the problem I think would've stunted my growth.
- justusw 4y ago
  That is the better half of a comp-sci or mathematics degree.
- Semioj 4y ago
  [dead]
- logarhythmic 4y ago
  If you mean acquiring facts, maybe not. If you mean getting better at a skill such as programming or playing the piano, how could you possibly get better without challenging yourself?

siva7 4y ago

I don't understand how people often assume you need to struggle in order to acquire knowledge. Maybe you don't?

throwaway675309 4y ago
There's a difference between acquiring knowledge and acquiring understanding. And there's lots of research to support the idea that working through concepts on your own helps aid in long-term retention.
- colmvp 4y ago
  Yeah I'm not sure why that's controversial. I have a plethora of books on programming languages. Know what helped me learn it the most? Solving small bugs on open source projects. If I told an AI to code the solution in the language of choice, I would solve the problem but not truly comprehend the subtleties of why the decision was made. Even when it tells me why it did something, I guarantee you I'd forget about it in a few hours if not by the following day. An AI doing a code review is one thing I could say would've helped me, but an AI solving the problem I think would've stunted my growth.
justusw 4y ago
That is the better half of a comp-sci or mathematics degree.
Semioj 4y ago
[dead]
logarhythmic 4y ago
If you mean acquiring facts, maybe not. If you mean getting better at a skill such as programming or playing the piano, how could you possibly get better without challenging yourself?