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I get a tremendous amount of value from ChatGPT, like you said for things where I would previously have to google -> stack overflow it's incredibly useful. It w
by thot_experiment 3y ago
I get a tremendous amount of value from ChatGPT, like you said for things where I would previously have to google -> stack overflow it's incredibly useful. It works as a insanely good search/autocomplete and that is worth a ton. I love being able to sketch a function with an example input/output and have it return something correct, or at least close 95% of the time. As an experienced dev it's easy for me to look at it and get to 100%.
It's also so helpful to be able to just ask questions of the documentation on popular projects, whether it be some nuance of the node APIs or a C websockets library, it saves me countless hours of searching and reading through documentation. Just being able to describe what I want and have it suggest some functions to paste into the actual documentation search bar is invaluable.
Similarly I find it's really helpful when trying to prototype things, the other day I needed to drop an image into a canvas. I don't remember off top exactly how to get a blob out of an .ondrop (or whatever the actual handler is) and I could find it with a couple minutes of google and MDN/SO, but if I ask ChatGPT "write me a minimal example for loading a dropped image into a canvas" I get the exact thing I want in 10 seconds and I can just copy paste the relevant stuff into MDN if I need to understand how the actual API works.
I think you're just using it wrong, and moreover I think it's MUCH MUCH more useful as an experienced engineer than as a beginner. I think I get way more mileage out of it than some of my more junior friends/colleagues because I have a better grasp on what questions to ask, and I can spot it being incorrect more readily. It feels BAD to be honest, like it's further stratifying the space by giving me a tool that puts a huge multiplier on my experience allowing me to work much faster than before and leaving those who are less experienced even further behind. I fear that those entering the space now, working with ChatGPT will learn less of the fundamentals that allow me to leverage it so effectively, and their growth will be slowed.
That's not to say it can't be an incredibly powerful learning tool for someone dedicated to that goal, but I have some fear that it will result in less learning "through osmosis" because junior devs won't be forced into as much of the same problem solving I had to do to be good enough, and perhaps this will allow them to coast longer in mediocrity?
- EchoChamberMan 3y ago"I worry our Copilot is leaving some passengers behind" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39411912 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39411912