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  • The elephant in the room, name's Claude

    From Digital Man@1:103/705 to All on Thu Jun 4 17:59:17 2026
    So if you've been paying any attention, you've probably noticed that the vast majority of new Synchronet source code commits, issue submissions, and wiki updates are coming via Claude Code.

    Not only has Claude enabled me (and Deuce, with SyncTERM) to address long-standing large/difficult todo items, it's also been able to root-cause and fix long-standing serious but hard to reproduce issues with performance and stability - and to do so, really, really fast.

    AI-driven development does takes a lot of the sense of accomplishment (fun?) out of the process, but the resulting improvement in quality and correctness just can't be argued with. We drive and review all the Claude-authored content. That doesn't mean it'll always be perfect, but so far, it's consistently better than your average qualified volunteer to do the same work. And we're using these tools professionally too, so the transferrable skills is a big win (always has been).

    At least one person expressed disapproval at our using these tools https://www.reddit.com/r/bbs/comments/1tsgi6n/is_there_any_nonai_bbs_software but my take on it is: why do you care? It's like saying you only want BBS software that's written in machine code. We've long been using these tools (interpreters, compilers, linkers, etc.) that abstract the machine(s) into an easier to digest and control dialect. Generative "coding" AI is just the newest tool in the chest. It's a huge win. And it can do more than just program.

    "This is the way".
    --
    digital man (rob)

    Steven Wright quote #9:
    All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand.
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    * Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)
  • From Nightfox@1:103/705 to Digital Man on Fri Jun 5 08:34:52 2026
    Re: The elephant in the room, name's Claude
    By: Digital Man to All on Thu Jun 04 2026 05:59 pm

    So if you've been paying any attention, you've probably noticed that the vast majority of new Synchronet source code commits, issue submissions, and wiki updates are coming via Claude Code.

    Not only has Claude enabled me (and Deuce, with SyncTERM) to address long-standing large/difficult todo items, it's also been able to root-cause and fix long-standing serious but hard to reproduce issues with performance and stability - and to do so, really, really fast.

    AI-driven development does takes a lot of the sense of accomplishment (fun?) out of the process, but the resulting improvement in quality and correctness just can't be argued with. We drive and review all the Claude-authored content. That doesn't mean it'll always be perfect, but so far, it's consistently better than your average qualified volunteer to do the same work. And we're using these tools professionally too, so the transferrable skills is a big win (always has been).

    At least one person expressed disapproval at our using these tools https:/ /www.reddit.com/r/bbs/comments/1tsgi6n/is_there_any_nonai_bbs_software but my take on it is: why do you care? It's like saying you only want BBS software that's written in machine code. We've long been using these tools (interpreters, compilers, linkers, etc.) that abstract the machine(s) into an easier to digest and control dialect. Generative "coding" AI is just the newest tool in the chest. It's a huge win. And it can do more than just program.

    "This is the way".

    I agree with this sentiment. As I've delved into AI software development tools, I've seen how they can be a big help.

    I've seen a lot of hate & backlash online about generative AI tools, though moreso for AI-generated photos & memes & such, and I don't quite understand the extreme reaction I've been seeing in many cases. One of the groups I'm in on Facebook has even just added a rule banning posts with generative AI. And the weird thing is, it's inconsistent - I've seen people posting memes generated with AI, and some of them get largely positive raction, while others get a lot of negative reactions and people posting comments like "AI slop" etc., even when it's a meme that's meant to be humorous. As for software development, I feel like it's hard to feel negative about a tool that can significantly help you with your work. And I say that even as a software engineer who was laid off months ago, and some may credit AI as a possible reason why the job market is a struggle right now. (I feel like things will probably pick up again & stabilize.)

    Nightfox

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