Ask HN: Why don't people value their code?
1 pointby mrdependable3 hours ago1 comment
  • dtagames2 hours ago
    Because your code in isolation has almost zero value. Only working, integrated, shippable code is of monetary value, and that's not something you'll get from an AI prompt, nor from Stack Overflow.

    Programming isn't the mystery we devs like to pretend it is, and that wall is coming down quickly with AI coding agents. Everyone has access to the same languages and tools as you do, so your work and mine aren't special because of the words we typed into the files. It's special because it meets the needs of a user, as a finished product they're willing to pay you for.

    • mrdependable2 hours ago
      All the programmers getting paid vast sums of money out there are providing no value? I get what you are trying to say, but it is a misguided notion. As a basic example, if I go and fix the code on someones WordPress site and they pay me for it, that's because I provided a valuable service for them.
      • dtagamesan hour ago
        And that service is the working product, not any extract of code from it. Thus humans will always be valuable and needed in the loop. We have nothing to fear from sharing our code and everything to gain as AI agents get better at that grunt work.