coding

Bill Gates on Coding, Math and Generative AI

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Bill Gates emphasizes the importance of coding and math skills even in an AI-driven world, arguing they are essential for understanding AI's workings. In an Axios interview, he compares learning math to coding, asserting that foundational knowledge helps comprehend AI's strengths and weaknesses. Gates critiques the notion of banning AI in education, advocating for its integration alongside traditional assessment methods. He also reveals a personal note in his new book, recognizing traits of autism spectrum disorder, hoping to inspire similar children.

https://www.axios.com/2025/02/03/bill-gates-coding-matters-generative-ai

Developer Philosophy

Developer Philosophy @ Things Of Interest

  • Ground-up rewrites are risky; avoid situations leading to them.
  • Aim for 90% completion in 50% of the time; polish and testing take longer than expected.
  • Automate adherence to best practices rather than relying solely on manual enforcement.
  • Prioritize handling edge cases and unexpected data.
  • Write code that is simpler and easily testable with clear interfaces.
  • Code should be obviously correct and handle potential failures gracefully.

https://qntm.org/devphilo

Five Coding Hats

Five coding “hats” symbolize different approaches to programming based on context:

  1. Captain’s hat: Methodical, careful coding for high-stakes situations.
  2. Scrappy hat: Lean, minimal code for prototypes with minimal testing.
  3. MacGyver hat: Quick, messy solutions to test ideas without concern for code quality.
  4. Chef’s hat: Focus on making code aesthetically pleasing, sometimes at the expense of efficiency.
  5. Teacher’s hat: Prioritize code clarity for educational purposes over performance.

Adopting the right “hat” aligns coding style with goals.

https://dubroy.com/blog/five-coding-hats/

Sourcegraph Automates ‘soul-crushing’ Tasks With AI Coding Agents

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Sourcegraph launches AI coding agents to automate tedious tasks in software development, enhancing efficiency and allowing developers to focus on complex work. Their initial offerings include the Code Review Agent, available in Early Access, which streamlines code reviews and other processes. Industry leaders like Indeed, Booking.com, and Priceline report significant productivity gains and bug reductions using these agents, signaling a cultural shift towards integrating AI in development workflows rather than replacing human roles. Sourcegraph envisions a collaborative future where humans and AI work together effectively in coding.

https://www.developer-tech.com/news/sourcegraph-automates-soul-crushing-tasks-ai-coding-agents/

The Best AI for Coding in 2025 (and What Not to Use

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Best AI coding tools of 2025 identified via two years of testing. Recommended: ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) and Perplexity Pro ($20/mo) for reliability. Avoid DeepSeek R1 and other poorly performing AIs. ChatGPT Free offers decent functionality but is limited. DeepSeek V3 shows promise but lacks knowledge in some areas. Overall performance of widespread AIs like Microsoft Copilot is subpar. AI bootstrapping is improving swiftly.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-best-ai-for-coding-in-2025-and-what-not-to-use-including-deepseek-r1/

I Tested DeepSeek’s R1 and V3 Coding Skills

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DeepSeek's AI models, V3 and R1, were evaluated on coding tests, showing impressive performance relative to other AIs despite lower infrastructure usage. V3 excelled in creating a WordPress plugin and debugging, while R1 struggled with reasoning and edge cases. Overall, V3 outperformed R1, achieving three wins to R1's two. DeepSeek represents a notable entry in the AI coding space but still exhibits room for improvement.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/i-tested-deepseeks-r1-and-v3-coding-skills-and-were-not-all-doomed-yet/

Discovery Coding

Discovery Coding: A coding practice where programmers write code first to understand a problem rather than outlining or planning. Often perceived as messy, discovery coding contrasts with structured approaches like outlining. Despite cultural preferences for structured methods, discovery coding fosters unique insight by exploring system constraints. The writing community accepts discovery writers; programming should also embrace discovery coding as a valid method, acknowledging different thinking styles without ranking them.

https://jimmyhmiller.github.io/discovery-coding

Hacker News Discussion about Discovery Coding TLDR: Discovery coding emphasizes exploration over rigid planning, allowing developers to understand problem spaces through iterative prototyping. Critics argue it risks shipping incomplete solutions, while proponents highlight flexibility, rapid learning, and adaptability. Balancing exploratory coding with structured testing and refactoring is key to effective software development.

RDEL #75: How Do Interruptions Impact Different Software Engineering Activities?

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Interruptions in software engineering affect productivity and stress differently based on task complexity and type of interruption. Research indicates that simpler tasks suffer more from interruptions, while the importance of the requester magnifies the impact. Physiological data often contradicts self-reported stress levels, suggesting perception plays a crucial role. Recommendations include minimizing urgent interruptions, especially during coding, and measuring impacts for continuous improvement.

https://rdel.substack.com/p/rdel-75-how-do-interruptions-impact

ByteByteGo | Technical Interview Prep

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ByteByteGo offers system design interview preparation resources, including books by best-selling authors, focusing on practical skills like web app scaling and product design. Positive reviews highlight their effectiveness in preparing for tech interviews. An annual subscription provides access to new content, diagrams, and community support. Alex Xu's books, particularly popular among users, emphasize deep understanding of system design principles.

https://bytebytego.com/

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