Reject Modernity (with David Copeland)

March 24
39 mins

Episode Description

In this episode of Dead Code, Jared talks with developer Dave Copeland about his article “The Death of the Software Craftsman,” which reflects on how AI coding tools are reshaping the role of programmers. Copeland describes a personal reckoning with whether traditional programming skills still matter in a world where AI can generate large amounts of code. He outlines three possible responses for developers: refusing to use AI, going all in on AI-assisted development, or “embracing tradition” by positioning oneself as a craftsperson who writes higher-quality code by hand in areas where reliability and accountability matter. The conversation explores the tension between programmers who enjoy the craft of coding and businesses that primarily care about outcomes, suggesting that as AI becomes more common, developers may need to focus less on code elegance and more on measurable results like reliability, safety, and system performance while learning how to work effectively alongside AI tools.


Links:


The Death of the Software Craftsman

Dave Copeland

Brut Ruby Web Framework

Ruby Programming Language

Ruby on Rails

Software Craftsmanship Movement

SOLID Principles

Dependency Injection

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

Agile Software Development

Observability in Software Systems

Large Language Models (LLMs)

Accidental Tech Podcast


Dead Code Podcast Links:


Mastodon

X


Jared’s Links:


Mastodon

X

twitch.tv/jardonamron

Jared’s Newsletter & Website


Episode Transcript

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See all episodes