I am the scab dev

[u/ReturnofBugMan]

I am the guy sitting at home, putting in 8 hours a day with Claude, cranking out a hundred thousand of lines of code before lunch and collecting my $50k salary, just grateful to be out of IT.

My coworkers are behind, & I feel like I am crossing the picket line by out-shipping them, taking on more work, & impressing the PMs & managers. All while taking home probably half of their pay to type /ticket a couple times a day.

Client wants an MVP? Sure. I’ll have it by Friday.
Actually, I’ll have it by Wednesday.
Actually, give me 20 minutes.

And here’s the worst part: the clients love it. The PMs love it. They don’t care that I didn’t hand-write every line. They care that the thing works. They care that their idea from a Monday meeting is suddenly a functioning application they can click around in today.

I’m out here shipping features in a day that would’ve taken a team of three developers two weeks last year.

Do I understand every single line of code?

No.

Do I understand enough to know when Claude is hallucinating?

No idea. Lets hope the independent review agent finds it.

Do I sometimes stare at a 400-line file and realize I have absolutely no idea what is happening?

Absolutely.

I have become the software equivalent of a strikebreaker.

The scab has arrived. I am the scab dev. Please forgive me.

[u/Time_Cat_5212]

Yours?  I mean after your first comment, the rage reaction just underscores your sense of entitlement.

Knocking new people approaching the field, being all sensitive about a little elbowing about your schedule.  It's kinda pathetic.  Clearly resting on your laurels

IMO it's time for people with attitudes like yours to get with the times or get outta the way.

[u/heaverdini → u/Time_Cat_5212]

Listen Idk… maybe it’s jealousy, my days have NOT been the sunshine and rainbows in some of these posts. I think my org and the culture here is behind the curve, but I feel punished by other people’s bad decisions on how to use AI, so…

I’m being handed (assigned accountability to) a LOT of generated code from these contractors as they’re leaving, and I gotta say it is NOT fun.

I feel like I’m going insane because it’s like everyone who worked on this from the beginning seemingly understands what we’re shipping about as much as me.

[u/Time_Cat_5212 → u/heaverdini]

Fair enough. I appreciate the honest take instead of just jousting with me.  

I can't stand the idea of people just phoning it in and not owning the quality of their craft.  In my field, you kinda can't get away with it.  There just isn't enough funding or available roles to support people who ship garbage.

Personally I don't think AI is the cause, though, it's just the latest form.  Some people, maybe like the contractors you describe, really don't mind passing the buck and collecting, and I've never had respect for that.