rob pike4d ago

Although trained in physics, I worked in the computing industry with pride and purpose for over 40 years. And now I can do nothing but sit back and watch it destroy itself for no valid reason beyond hubris (if I'm being charitable).

Ineffable sadness watching something I once loved deliberately lose its soul.

Show threadrob pike4d ago

I spent my time trying to make it better. Not just write code, but find better or at least different ways to do so. Simpler, cleaner, more general, more comprehensible.

What's happening today is a complete repudiation of everything I was trying to achieve.

Show threadrob pike4d ago
But hey, the industry has spoken. Who am I to question it?
Show threadGeePawHill4d ago

@robpike A profound grief I feel.

I retired this year, creating considerable financial stress, but I just don't want to be associated with this trade these days.

And yes, it's been coming for some time, and the LLM craze isn't really the root cause. For me, at least, it's the tipping point.

Anyway. Just a note to say that I feel your pain. About the only bright side I can offer: we lived through the golden age of computing, created amazing things, found many friends, and felt great joy.

Show threadDavid Beazley4d ago
@GeePawHill @robpike I share similar feelings. I don't feel like retiring, but I don't want anything to do with any of this. Maybe I did something that mattered to someone at one time, but who knows now?
Show threadRandom Geek

@dabeaz @GeePawHill @robpike y’all know all the pains. The tech domain has been increasingly uncomfortable over the last 10-15 years, with the generative and agentic push marking where things got unrecognizable.

I like code and solving problems. I can live without code if I must, but I don’t see problems being solved either.

I’m not currently interested in what they’re making, why they’re making it, or how they’re making it. That’s a sad state of affairs for this brain.

May 12 at 12:08amWeb
Show threadR.L. Dane    🍵 3d ago

@randomgeek @dabeaz @GeePawHill @robpike

I.T. has become the sweatshop.

We need to discover the "knitting" of the technical domain, whether it be #permacomputing, #retrocomputing, or just all-around #HumbleTech.

Cottage Industry will save tech. (Hope!!)

Show threadDavid Beazley3d ago

@randomgeek @GeePawHill @robpike Definitely agree on the last 10-15 years. Honestly, I probably fell out of most of it about 10 years ago, but managed to carve out a little niche for myself doing some advanced CS topics for awhile. That's pretty much run it's course at this point though.

I loved the struggle of solving problems and challenging myself. Just not getting it with the current stuff. I dunno--maybe there's something there, but I don't care.

Show threadHarry Karadimas2d ago
@dabeaz @randomgeek @GeePawHill @robpike Hi David, for sure I appreciated your writings, and especially the series on generators and concurrency in Python, enlightening and entertaining at the same time !