Jeff Atwood

"I think sometimes programmers forget that their primary job is to create a world where we need less programmers, not more."

I've consistently expressed various forms of this sentiment on https://blog.codinghorror.com since 2004, I posted those specific words in 2018, and .. that's still the job, people. That's the job. Always has been. Always will be.

May 24, 2025 at 3:35pmWeb
Show threadssekretMay 24, 2025
@codinghorror doesn't sound like a purpose of programming at all... also, it's not "just a job", as every craft you can be passioned about, just coincidence that someone also need that and ready to pay. but overall I don't feel like my goal is to make less programmers in the world, even the opposite, I want more people to share my passion for tinkering
Show threadChris Mackay 🇨🇦May 24, 2025
@codinghorror Fewer. ;)
Show threadWill GoringMay 24, 2025

@codinghorror I’m so torn on this. On the one hand of course people shouldn’t need to develop niche technical skills in order to benefit from modern technology

On the other, our digital lives are so important now, and trusting a third party to take care of all that for us is basically allowing a huge corporate-master to control our lives

Is the answer that part of creating that world is building (and defending!) easy, open alternatives to technical hegemony? Because, man, that’s a hard gig

Show threadrakooMay 24, 2025
@AggroBoy

The alternative is questioning whether we need that much programming in our lives, whether it's sustainable or not, and maybe reduce our dependency on it. You don't need to write your own ai for writing your email, you can just write it yourself
@codinghorror
Show threadWill GoringMay 24, 2025
@rakoo that’s an excellent point. I’ll admit that “less technology” is not an end state I’d really considered. Gonna spend some time thinking on the implications 🤔
Show threadJosh Kingsley 🍋May 24, 2025
@codinghorror Yes to this in the sense of “software shouldn’t require deep technical knowledge to be effective.” But for me the sentiment definitely doesn’t extend to “there should be fewer people programming.” (Not that I think you think that.) Making computers effective in the world is what I do as a programmer, balancing leverage and simplicity with abstraction
Show threadPi^2May 24, 2025

@codinghorror
I see your point: A programmer creates an application so other people can do something without coding skill. True.

BUT to do so they need to create code. Code needs to be maintained, updated or at least adapted for new requirements. Sure not every day but it needs to be done.

If you write new code every day for years. There will be a day when you cannot maintain all this code by yourself. You have created the need for another programmer. I think this is inevitable.

Show thread💡𝚂𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝙰𝗉𝗉𝗌📱May 24, 2025
@codinghorror
Show threadscottMay 25, 2025
@codinghorror Certainly everywhere I've worked would do better with fewer but better programmers. However the over-hiring of programmers has always been the fault of middle and upper management, and not programmers.
Show threadJay CruzMay 25, 2025
@codinghorror We need a blog post from you on “Vibe Coding” so this stupid term and idea can die, before it establishes itself as legitimate thing, e.g. “Content Creator”
Show threadFranklin Delano StalloneFeb 3

@codinghorror that’s kinda like saying the purpose of a carpenter is to have fewer carpenters.

Aside from ignoring that some people enjoy doing it, the amount of software and its complexity is growing which isn’t a recipe for fewer developers.

Show threadJeff AtwoodFeb 3
@fds again we are talking about atoms versus bytes. Not the same thing. Electrons easier to work with.
Show threadFranklin Delano StalloneFeb 3
@codinghorror The quality and lifetime wood projects vs software might disprove that. Regardless I think it will take a lot more than LLMs have a meaningful effect. Any effects on early career devs at this point is just a problem waiting to surface. Looking at one data point to prove something is kinda meaningless. As an example crunchbase says start-ups have been in decline. Is that because of LLMs? Seems unlikely if someone can achieve more with less but it has an effect on jobs.
Show threadDanny Jay DonnellFeb 3
@codinghorror shouldn't this be inverted? It's to create a world where it's much easier for people to solve their own needs with software? This is the right goal, and it could dramatically increase the demand for software and not affect the number of programmers needed.
Show threadNoel KellyFeb 3

@codinghorror

Less programming specifically.
Less labour generally.

Where's my 15 hour work week?

#keynes2030

Show threadKevin RussellFeb 3

@codinghorror

Why? Isnt programming just speech?

Show threadMauriceFeb 3
@codinghorror when people ask me about my job as a programmer, I always tell them, that it is a strange one, because I constantly work on tools and systems that make "me" redundant.