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sharperguytoday at 7:40 PM5 repliesview on HN

It's hard to avoid the topic when it literally redefines what it means to create software. If I'm using it to create some piece of software, then I turn around and say "I wrote this" am I even being truthful? But if I'm trying to avoid mentioning LLMs what other wording could I use?


Replies

embedding-shapetoday at 7:58 PM

> It's hard to avoid the topic when it literally redefines what it means to create software.

Say that the IDE also "redefined what it meant to create software" when it entered the ecosystem as an idea and product, does that mean every conversation, community meetup and thinking needs to consider the IDEs now? Probably not, then there is no more room for the other topics anymore.

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altairprimetoday at 8:01 PM

This is a meetup for Zig the tool, so you would need to identify how you are interested in Zig to attend and not run into problems.

“I want to [verb] with Zig someday and want to show up and listen and learn”

“I [verb] with Zig and have formed opinions and want to swap them with others”

“I [verb] with Zig and have not yet formed opinions”

If you can’t identify a verb for such a sentence, then you probably need to gain some vague clarity on why you’re considering attending.

But if your sentences are all “I [verb] with LLM”, then there’s no point in attending a Zig meetup; attend an LLM meetup instead. “I [verb] with LLM and the LLM [verbs] with Zig” isn’t transitive to “I [verb] with Zig using LLM” in human social relations; that difference matters, even though a logical evaluation would claim that ( A & B ) & ( B & C ) = A & C. People are extremely sensitive to the difference and Zig has labeled their events as A & B, not A & C.

Specific example: “I code with LLM […] in Zig” would be offtopic, because there’s no human verb-use of Zig present; the verb “code” is bound to LLM, not to Zig, and so is not a valid basis for human connection over a shared interest in Zig.

Specific example: “I write out Zig programs on paper first” would be ontopic, but “I write Zig with pencils rather than pens” would be offtopic; even though both refer to the same activity, one is about how you perform a creative act within your self to output Zig, the other is best reserved for a stationery BOF.

(This holds true for all “I [verb] with [noun]” BOFs and is a good general principle for when to, and when not to, bring up LLMs at a Noun event. You can swap also “LLMs” for “employees” and get the same outcome: don’t go to a Noun BOF to talk about managing Noun workers; instead, go to a Managers BOF to talk about Verbing.)

See also: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48315082

coldteatoday at 8:32 PM

>It's hard to avoid the topic when it literally redefines what it means to create software.

It redefines it because its shoved down our throats as redefining it.

slopinthebagtoday at 7:57 PM

Maybe just don't talk about stuff you commissioned (not created), it's entirely uninteresting to everybody else.

keyboredtoday at 8:28 PM

Have you tried creating the software yourself?