July 13th, 2024

LLMs are good for coding because your documentation is ...

Large Language Models (LLMs) are praised for aiding coding by interpreting complex documentation efficiently. Developers struggle with poor documentation, turning to LLMs like StackOverflow. Despite energy consumption, LLMs' precision prompts tech industry to enhance human-generated documentation.

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LLMs are good for coding because your documentation is ...

Large Language Models (LLMs) are highlighted as beneficial for coding due to the prevalent issue of poor documentation in the programming realm. LLMs, a form of Artificial Intelligence, excel at interpreting and regurgitating information, making them adept at navigating complex documentation to provide relevant answers. The post emphasizes the frustration developers face when grappling with inadequate documentation, leading to reliance on platforms like StackOverflow for solutions. While LLMs are not flawless and consume substantial energy, their unrivaled patience and efficiency in answering queries underscore their superiority over human-generated documentation. The discussion prompts a reflection on the necessity of improving documentation practices within the tech industry, advocating for the expertise of technical communicators to enhance the quality of resources available to programmers. The post invites readers to consider the role of humans in crafting comprehensive documentation as a sustainable alternative to relying solely on LLMs for coding support.

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Link Icon 3 comments
By @fsckboy - 3 months
this title is misleading, the original says

"LLMs are good for coding because your documentation is shit"

By @mintaka5 - 3 months
how 99.9% dev documentation sounds...

"thingie must be configured using the right pre-existing thingie (but we won't divulge what that is, guess!). if that doesn't work you need a thingie dependency, why? because it worked on my machine. aren't i amazing for making code things."

meatballs gonna meatball.