We’ve ultimately decided to treat the models with more respect, nurturing, and collaborative support than we ever did our follow human keyboard smashers. Writing all the documentation, detailed guidance, allowing them multiple attempts, to help the LLMs be successful. But Brenda, the early in career new grad? “please read this poorly written, 5 year-old, incomplete wiki, and don’t ask me questions”
I’ve been thinking about this for months, and still don’t know what to make of it.
Respect (or lack thereof) goes both ways: both the writer and reader. I have frequently felt disrespected by producing documentation, planning/etc that isn't read. In the end I mostly rely on oral transmission of knowledge because then at least I can read the room and know if I'm providing some value to people, and ultimately we're both trapped in the room together and have to invest the same amount of time.
The LLM isn't always smart, but it's always attentive. It rewards that effort in a way that people frequently don't. (Arguably this is a company culture issue, but it's also a widespread issue.)
Great framing of the problem. I do think it's a culture issue with "Agile" practices in particular - By design, there is no time budgeted for reading, writing, reflection, or discussion. Sprint, sprint, sprint.
In organizations that value innovation, people will spend time reading and writing. It's a positive feedback loop, almost a litmus test of quality of the work culture.
I would also be motivated to write better documentation if I had a junior dev sitting right next to me, utterly incapable of doing any work unless I document how; but also instantly acting on documentation I produce, and giving me rapid feedback on which parts of the documentation are sending the wrong message.
I’ve been thinking about this for months, and still don’t know what to make of it.