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Using LLMs at Oxide

(rfd.shared.oxide.computer)
694 points steveklabnik | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.202s | source
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thundergolfer ◴[] No.46178458[source]
A measured, comprehensive, and sensible take. Not surprising from Bryan. This was a nice line:

> it’s just embarrassing — it’s as if the writer is walking around with their intellectual fly open.

I think Oxide didn't include this in the RFD because they exclusively hire senior engineers, but in an organization that contains junior engineers I'd add something specific to help junior engineers understand how they should approach LLM use.

Bryan has 30+ years of challenging software (and now hardware) engineering experience. He memorably said that he's worked on and completed a "hard program" (an OS), which he defines as a program you doubt you can actually get working.

The way Bryan approaches an LLM is super different to how a 2025 junior engineer does so. That junior engineer possibly hasn't programmed without the tantalizing, even desperately tempting option to be assisted by an LLM.

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dachris ◴[] No.46179419[source]
For the other non-native speakers wondering, "fly" means your trouser zipper.

He surely has his fly closed when cutting through the hype with reflection and pragmatism (without the extreme positions on both sides often seen).

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1. vaylian ◴[] No.46181333[source]
I was also confused when I read that sentence. Wikipedia has an article on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_(clothing)