3 ms·

Code is both a liability and an asset.

still_grokking 3y ago
No, it isn't. The benefit that some code (maybe) provides is an asset. The code as such is strictly not. Nobody would even look at your code if you don't compensate them with some benefits. Exactly that's why nobody touches random "free code" even with a ten foot pole if there aren't very strong reasons to do so. If you could have the benefits without the code any sane person would prefer that. Code is just cost. You don't want code as such as already just owning it has steadily increasing costs. You just want the benefits out of it. If there's a solutions to a problem where writing new code can be avoided this is almost in any case the cheapest and most preferable solution. Only junior devs think code has value. But the truth is you get more value if you're senior skilled and smart enough to avoid wasting your time on writing (more) code. Code is a means to an end, not a means in itself! Given that, the best approximate measure of technical dept (and with it security issues, bugs, and in the end of the day cost) is: Lines of code! https://www.jamesshore.com/v2/blog/2008/an-approximate-measure-of-technical-debt https://www.jamesshore.com/v2/blog/2008/an-approximate-measu... Now, a smart and really helpful AI for programmers would try very hard to achieve the stated goals but delete on it's way as much code as possible. Because that's the only way to lower cost in the long run and keep things maintainable. Any AI that does the opposite, and just creates mostly completely mindless piles of more and more code, is like an oven heated by dollar bills… I really don't get how something such obvious isn't seen by so many people. Especially people that have to handle all the pains created by more an more code on a daily basis.
- anticensor 3y ago
  The code is knowledge, which is a non-fungible, trivially reproducible asset (apart from the bottleneck caused by intellectual property).

No, it isn't. The benefit that some code (maybe) provides is an asset. The code as such is strictly not. Nobody would even look at your code if you don't compensate them with some benefits. Exactly that's why nobody touches random "free code" even with a ten foot pole if there aren't very strong reasons to do so. If you could have the benefits without the code any sane person would prefer that. Code is just cost. You don't want code as such as already just owning it has steadily increasing costs. You just want the benefits out of it. If there's a solutions to a problem where writing new code can be avoided this is almost in any case the cheapest and most preferable solution. Only junior devs think code has value. But the truth is you get more value if you're senior skilled and smart enough to avoid wasting your time on writing (more) code. Code is a means to an end, not a means in itself! Given that, the best approximate measure of technical dept (and with it security issues, bugs, and in the end of the day cost) is: Lines of code! https://www.jamesshore.com/v2/blog/2008/an-approximate-measure-of-technical-debt https://www.jamesshore.com/v2/blog/2008/an-approximate-measu... Now, a smart and really helpful AI for programmers would try very hard to achieve the stated goals but delete on it's way as much code as possible. Because that's the only way to lower cost in the long run and keep things maintainable. Any AI that does the opposite, and just creates mostly completely mindless piles of more and more code, is like an oven heated by dollar bills… I really don't get how something such obvious isn't seen by so many people. Especially people that have to handle all the pains created by more an more code on a daily basis.

anticensor 3y ago
The code is knowledge, which is a non-fungible, trivially reproducible asset (apart from the bottleneck caused by intellectual property).