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Holy shit.
Just wow, wow, holy shit:
Completely rewriting a multi-million line COBOL codebase that has life-or-death consequences for real people in the space of a few months, using gen AI?
I’ve been writing software for 40-some years, and I have to say: this may be, without exaggeration, the stupidest software-related idea I’ve ever heard from leadership.
https://www.wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-social-security-administration-cobol-benefits/
I urge you to listen to the riveting and wonderful radio feature about what happens when you try to build a make-or-break project on a ridiculously tight timeline:
https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-worst-video-game-ever/
The page has summary text, but listen if you can. I’ve heard very few instances of a developer speaking so candidly and with such self-awareness about what it feels like to be part of a failing software project.
Listen. Then imagine that instead of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, it’s social security for the entire USA.
I always give that story as an assignment to my Software Design and Development students. One of the things we talk about is that if the developer •hadn’t• managed to build the game, if the project had collapsed at any point before release, it probably would have saved the company.
The worst possible outcome here is that these DOGEbags manage to build •something• and actually think it works.
@inthehands that would be not just disastrous for social security itself but for the entire software industry. The damage could happen even if they fail to actually replace anything but simply say they did it. A bunch of managers and investors are suddenly going to have absolutely absurd beliefs about what's possible in development. So many people are so credulous towards Musk because they want to believe him.
@thomasjwebb @inthehands wouldn't the absolute failure of such a high profile project expose the absurdity of the current AI hype ? Burst that damn bubble ?
(I certainly hope that this bubble will burst, sooner rather than later actually, but not at such a cost.)
@TofuTheSquirrel @thomasjwebb @inthehands
I'm patiently waiting for Americans to wake up and throw these mad men in prison or smthg so maybe that massive fk up will be the spark they need?
It sucks for anyone involved ofc but I feel the sooner they rip off the bandage, the better :S
@Beldarak It's only Trump supporters who cannot see these problems you describe.
Sadly, many of them are totally ignorant about politics (knowing far less about it than many non-Americans) and would have to be personally affected by Musk or Trump in order to know about it.
What I meant is people not in his camp should do something (and at this point I'm not excluding violence, sadly).
I know it's easier said than done of course, and maybe it's just a lack of covering from press in my country, but I'm surprised I don't hear about factories on strike or tons of people in the streets.
Ofc it's hard to say what I'd do in the same situation but I like to think I would act against litteral nazis :S
To put things in context, I live in Belgium. I've been conditioned (pasively, just by our history) all my life to absolutely loathe nazis.
Every time someone brings a "what would you do with a time machine?" question most people here will eventually say "kill Hitler" in their propositions.
I'm a pacifist, anti-war, I used violence maybe once in my life (to get out of a situation). But nazis? That's where people draw the line here and agree: beat the shit out of them.
I visited the Dachau concentration camp when I was a teen, fuck this shit, don't let that happen in your country.
@Beldarak Unfortunately, television and social media are so entertaining for most Americans that they have no idea that they could have something better, and that they deserve it.
I am working with some people to change that though, but we need financial support. It's tough having to cold-start democracy in a country where it's been neglected.
@Beldarak @mattsheffield just let Adolf join the fucking Art classes.
Ahah, yeah, that's probably a better solution :P