Why craft-lovers are losing their craft
4 hours ago
- #craftsmanship
- #technology
- #alienation
- Les Orchard and Nolan Lawson represent two different reactions to LLM coding assistants: Orchard sees them as tools for efficiency, while Lawson mourns the loss of hands-on coding craftsmanship.
- Marx's concept of alienated labor explains the divide: Orchard isn't alienated because he values results, while Lawson feels alienated as the act of coding itself held meaning for him.
- The market penalizes craft-lovers by prioritizing productivity metrics, pushing developers toward LLM tools even if they prefer traditional coding.
- Marx's analysis of the Luddites shows that the problem isn't the technology but the societal structures that enforce its use under economic pressure.
- The author's experience with open-source funding shows that LLM tools can feel liberating when used voluntarily, contrasting with forced adoption in corporate settings.
- The grief over losing craftsmanship should target the societal and economic pressures, not the technology itself.