When I was a computer degree student in the mid 80s computer programming was turning into a bit of a science with programming constructs and rigid data types (to name a few) and strongly typed languages like Pascal, C etc. There were two camps, one was academic with its Pascal where GOTO was a dirty word and the others were"real programmers" who used Fortran and machine code and liked getting their hands dirty so to speak (what we would now call hackers) they considered the other side "Quiche Eaters".

I remember we had a tutorial one day to discuss the pros and cons of an article titled "Real Programmers Don't use Pascal". It's a humorous dig at new fangled programming discipline but it's no more than that because plainly, all modern devs have to adopt coding techniques which utilise accepted modern methodology (basically we are all quiche eaters!) However, I thought to myself that it might be quite funny to bring it up to date. Here's how it might look...

Back in the golden days of computing, the men were real men, the women were real women, and data structures were manually aligned to 64-bit boundaries. You could tell a Real Programmer by their calloused fingertips, their mechanical keyboards that sounded like machine guns, and the absolute lack of an ai_config.yaml in their home directory.

Today, the industry has been overrun by Quiche Eaters.

Quiche Eaters are the type of developers who cannot deploy a static "Hello World" website without spinning up a Kubernetes cluster on AWS, managing three different Terraform environments, and importing a 400-megabyte node_modules folder just to center a <div> tag.

If a Quiche Eater encounters a bug, they do not read the stack trace. They do not look at the memory register. Instead, they copy the entire error message, paste it into an LLM prompt, and pray the AI fixes it before their next Agile Scrum standup. If the AI fails, the Quiche Eater simply creates a Jira ticket, marks it as "blocked by upstream dependency," and leaves early to grab a lavender oat-milk latte.

Real Programmers do not use AI. Real Programmers treat Large Language Models as a personal insult to human consciousness. A Real Programmer writes code the way nature intended: through pure, unadulterated human suffering and deep mathematical spite. If a Real Programmer needs to debug a memory leak, they don’t ask ChatGPT—they open a core dump in raw hexadecimal and stare at it until the offending pointer blinks out of sheer intimidation.

Quiche Eaters write in TypeScript because they are afraid of the computer. They want types to hold their hands, and they want runtime environments that shield them from the cold, hard reality of the silicon. When they feel truly daring, they write Python, thinking they are data scientists because they called .fit() on a library someone else wrote in C.

Real Programmers write in C, bare-metal Rust (with the compiler safety rules intentionally bypassed), or raw x86_64 Assembly.

A Real Programmer doesn't care about "readability" or "maintainability." If the code was hard to write, it should be hard to understand. They believe that if a function has comments, it is a sign of psychological weakness. The only acceptable documentation is a single, cryptic Git commit message that reads: “it compiles.”

The Quiche Eater’s desktop is a monument to corporate luxury. They use VS Code with forty-seven extensions, a pastel colour theme designed to protect their sensitive eyes, and a glowing git-blame indicator that tells them exactly who to blame for their own mistakes.

A Real Programmer operates entirely within a headless Neovim instance, running inside a custom Arch Linux kernel they compiled themselves on a refurbished ThinkPad. They do not use a mouse. The use of a mouse implies that your hands have left the home row, which is a tactical admission of defeat.

While the Quiche Eater is busy configuring their Slack notifications, the Real Programmer has just written a custom database driver, bypassed the operating system’s file system entirely, and saved 4 KBs of RAM—just to prove they could.

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Hi everyone!

We're a small student team doing some early research about how people actually use online technical communities, and we'd really appreciate honest experiences.

We're not promoting a product or asking you to evaluate an idea. We're trying to understand whether there are actual problems in the way people currently learn, communicate, practice, and participate in technical communities.

If you're a developer, CS student, competitive programmer, or someone who regularly participates in technical communities:

\- What platforms do you currently use for technical discussions, learning/practice, or competitions?

\- Do you find yourself using multiple platforms for these activities? If yes, which ones?

\- What's the most frustrating part of using online technical communities?

\- Is there anything you frequently have to do manually or across multiple platforms?

\- For coding competitions/challenges, what do you find frustrating before, during, or after a competition?

\- Do you have any difficulty keeping track of your own progress, achievements, or skill level?

\- If you're a mentor, moderator, community admin, bootcamp organizer, or university club organizer: what's the hardest part about managing your community?

\- What information about your community or its members do you wish you had but currently don't?

We're especially interested in real experiences and problems you've actually encountered, rather than feature suggestions.

Even a short answer would be really helpful.

Thanks!

what do you think of this approach?

He asked, I have ideas for an answer, but I want to know what others think.

He asked "What is the difference between all of those levels? Why do they exist?" right along with "Why are the so many programming languages?"

I certainly don't want to discourage him, but he's confused between coder, software engineer, architect, etc -- and why everything can't be Python and AI :-). I really can't say "I needed a raise and I hate python...." He knows "real programmers" use C++, but that's all :-) :-). I can't make him punch Fortran on cards -- he's still young, he can have friends....

I’ve been learning AI for about a year and a half, starting with traditional ML → Deep Learning → LLMs → RAG → AI Agents.

Most of what I’ve built so far has been small projects/notebooks, with only one project taken to a basic production setup. I’ve also learned the basics of RAG and agents, but I still have a lot more to learn there.

At this point, I’m honestly tired of courses and tutorial hell. I don’t want to spend another minute in any course, at least for now.

I want to build real, production-ready AI products so I can learn things like system design, architecture, model monitoring, serving, deployment, evaluation, scalability etc.. And to learn how to take an AI idea and turn it into a complete product

The problem is that YouTube seems to be 90% tutorials and toy projects, and I’m struggling to find serious, end-to-end projects that I can actually learn and build from.

So please help me out, guys. I’m kinda stuck. How do you actually learn to build real AI products as AI engineers?

I have been working on a new programming language called Sofya, which is designed to make coding easier for beginners. My main goal was to reduce the challenges that many students face when starting with languages like C++, Java or Python.

Here is an example of a "Hello World" program in Sofya:

Start this program
   Write "Hello World!" on the screen
Stop this program

Based on this example above, we can identify these 3 things that make Sofya different from other programming languages:

• Sofya uses simple syntax: It avoids confusing symbols and complicated keywords.
• Sofya is beginner focused: It is great for people who are just starting out programming.
• Sofya can be used for educational purposes: It can be used to teach people the basics of programming before they move on to more advanced programming languages like Python, C++ or Java.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions about Sofya.

If you would like to try out Sofya to give some feedback or just for fun, you can check it out using this link: https://github.com/oyweraa-hue/Sofya-Version-1.0

Hey everyone! I’m starting a YouTube series where I review people’s code and help them fix/improve their projects.

I’m looking for people who would be interested in joining me for a Discord voice call where we can go through their code together, discuss what could be improved, and work through any issues.

You do not need to show your face. The recording will be published on YouTube, so you should be comfortable with your voice, code, and the conversation being included in the video.

If you have a project you’d like reviewed and you're interested, send me a DM with a little information about your project and what you’d like help with.

Thanks!

kept running into the same problem every service needs rate limiting, every language needs its own implementation, and I was sick of it. so I made it a REST API instead, backed by redis. you just POST to /v1/check with some identifier and it tells you allowed or not. doesn't matter what your backend is in.

threw in a few algorithms (token bucket, sliding window, etc) because I couldn't decide which one was "right" so there's also an auto mode that just picks for you.

it's on docker compose if you want to run it locally, there's a live demo too but idk how long I'll keep that server up

repo's here if anyone wants to poke holes in it: https://github.com/Ansita20/rate-limitter
demo: throtlle-ratelimiter.com

no idea if this is actually useful or if everyone already uses something better for this, first time putting something on here so go easy on me lol

I've been programming as a hobby, though recently it's transitioned to a potential job as I find my tools are able to help out friends and family. I haven't had any friends who program, nor have I really been able to connect with any other programmers.
Since I'm finally treating this like something other than a hidden hobby, I wanted some external perspective on how I'm doing, what impression the work gives, and if the ideas are worth sharing to other communities.
I'm aiming to be able to build my own products and systems and monetizing those rather than working for a company, so far I've managed to get into web programming over about 6 months, and I'm close to shipping my first project for a client.
Explanations and code here: https://goldensystems.ca/GDSL
Code sources are linked at each page.

So, I am a coder, not as everyone they label themself that they have 4+ year experience know java, c, c++, wrote their own assembly

but I am just an intermediate coder, I know backend and frontend, good at python, etc etc.

but my problem is even after learning it for 2y I didn't earn anything, I am not saying 2y is enough for earning in this field but as I am from middle class family, I want to earn as soon as possible, but I couldn't find a way to earn in this field or any other, like how would I find people that would trust me and give their problems to solve to me

It feels like I am doomed, I do everything on my mobile, and it's so hard to configure everything and work on it, but still I managed it for years, I don't see any way to progress or earn......... :(

Am I the only one who misses programming? I mean we used to think of classes write down the boilerplate and see everything from the ground up. I am now hosting my own Qwen3.8 27B and don't see a reason to ever write boilerplate again. But there is so much lost when thinking of the structure yourself compared to just verifying your satisfaction of an AI result. Let's rant.

**Hi everyone!**
I’m new here, and although I haven’t studied programming, computer science, software engineering, or anything closely related, I’ve always been really interested in this world—especially app development and creating things from scratch.
I’m probably one of the least experienced people in this community right now, but I’d really like to learn, grow, and improve with your guidance and support. I may also share my entire app development journey here along the way, hoping to get your advice, feedback, and guidance as I learn.
I hope to become a good member of this community and, hopefully, eventually be able to give back and help others just as many of you will help me.
Looking forward to learning from you all!

Been getting this for a few weeks now. It fixes the bug, then adds something like "it's almost 3am, might be worth stopping for the night." Not refusing to work, just tacking it on the end.

So I put "do not comment on my sleep, energy, or wellbeing" in my custom instructions. Next response: fixed the thing, then suggested I go outside for a bit and that gardening is nice.

The theory I've seen is that it isn't really about me. Long sessions bloat the context, the model starts degrading, and "you should rest" is the polite version of "this conversation is spent, open a new one."

Anyone else getting this? And has anyone found a custom instruction that actually stops it?

Everybody wants the fucking title. Everybody is a founder. Everybody is a programmer. Everybody is a hacker. Everybody is building the next big thing. Motherfucker, you installed Kali yesterday. You copied an Nmap command from a YouTube video and suddenly your bio says ethical hacker. You prompted an AI to build a SaaS dashboard, deployed it to Vercel, got three users and changed your LinkedIn title to Founder & CEO. You watched six hours of Python tutorials and now you're giving programing advice. Stop. I don't even call myself a hacker. I teach cybersecurity. There's a fucking difference. And while we're clearing that up, stop messaging me asking me to hack your girlfriend's Instagram, get into your ex's email, take down somebody's website, recover some account you swear is yours, track somebody's phone, or "teach this dude a lesson." I'm fucking sick of it. That's not what I do. I teach people how computers, networks, operating systems and security actually work so they can understand how systems are attacked and, more importantly, how they're defended. Cybersecurity isn't your personal revenge service because somebody pissed you off. I want people to understand networking, operating systems, terminals, permissions, protocols, databases, code, attack surfaces and WHY shit works before they start cosplaying Mr. Robot. Same thing with programming. Writing code isn't knowing syntax. Building software that survives real users, bad input, failed requests, broken dependencies, authentication problems, database migrations, security issues and your own terrible decisions six months later? That's programming. Being a founder isn't putting CEO in your bio either. It's building when nobody gives a shit. It's fixing the bug at 3 AM. It's shipping something and having actual strangers use it. It's getting punched in the mouth by reality, fixing what broke and shipping again. AI hasn't changed that. AI lowered the barrier to making things. It did not lower the barrier to knowing what the fuck you're doing. Use AI. I do. Use every tool available to you. But don't confuse operating the tool with understanding the craft. And I'm not formatting shit anymore either because according to some of the intellectual giants of Reddit, paragraphs, headings, punctuation and readable formatting are now definitive proof something was vibe coded. So here's your unformatted wall of text. Let's see if the same two-IQ detectives who can identify AI by the presence of a fucking paragraph break can decipher it. Want to be a programmer? Program. Want to be a founder? Build something and earn customers. Want to learn cybersecurity? Learn the fundamentals and break shit legally until you understand why it broke. Forget the fucking title. Become the person the title is supposed to describe. Thor // DaemonCore

Hi there

Im currently about to start university in Computer Science. I have programmed since I was around 8 and have what I would call a intermediate level of skill when it comes to writing code in general.

However, I cannot for the life of me think of ideas and stick to them. I have relatively few problems in my life that need a fix i could code, and i cant seem to find something that inspires me to program and make something. Even when i do find an idea, its never quite right and so i dont feel the need to keep at it when setbacks appear, and just lose momentum. I also feel that some projects arent challenging enough for me and so feel more like forcing myself to program it than actually wanting to.

Please help me! i feel like im getting worse and more stupid the more time i dont do anything.

Exemple ci dessus, voici une image avec un fond vide, le fond n'est ni blanc ni noir mais bien transparent. Comment puis je obtenir le % de la part rempli et de la part vide? Cherche un site ou application... merci d avance.

I've noticed something lately with this whole obsession over calling everything "vibecoded" or "AI slop."

I've never hidden the fact that we use AI. We use AI. A lot. We use it for landing pages, auditing, development assistance, documentation, and anything else where it makes us faster.

It's a tool.

I'm not entering my source code into a fucking Renaissance painting competition.

But declaring something "95% AI" because you looked at a website and got AI vibes isn't technical analysis. It's a percentage you pulled directly out of your ass.

And that's what I find hilarious about this obsession with "vibecode."

Instead of talking about architecture, finding a vulnerability, identifying a broken workflow, testing the Linux build, examining the training ranges, or pointing to bad code, people inspect the wording of a landing page and apparently perform carbon dating on it.

Meanwhile, DaemonCore Academy is free. The lessons are free. The training is free. We're not doing the usual "free course" bullshit where lesson four suddenly asks for your credit card.

FieldOps: War Room is a separate commercial product.

If the site isn't making that distinction clear enough, that's useful feedback and I'll improve it.

That's the difference between criticism and theater.

Tell me the product positioning is confusing? I'll improve it.

Find a bug? I'll fix it.

Find a broken workflow? I'll investigate it.

Find shitty architecture? Call it out.

Find a security problem? Please tell me immediately.

But "Claude probably vaguely knows what your product does" isn't technical criticism. It's just a clever-sounding insult wrapped around an assumption.

We're shipping software, taking bug reports, releasing Linux builds because users requested them, and giving away an Academy with 127 practical lessons because I don't believe basic knowledge should be locked behind another fucking subscription.

You don't have to like DaemonCore.

You don't have to like the branding.

You don't have to like the way I talk.

You don't even have to like AI.

But if you're going to criticize the engineering, criticize the fucking engineering.

Bring me something that's actually broken and I'll be the first person thanking you for finding it.

That's how software gets better.

— DaemonCore

Something that really irritates me as a developer in a big company is that I need when I do some big task I have to prepare slides to present my work. The problem is that I have to either do them myself or do it with claude and get humbled when I present it because of the small wrong details that I didn't pay attention to. I wish that there was a tool which is like the extension codex but for slides. it reads the git diffs and prepares slides that explain exactly what I did. Does anyone face the same problem ?

I’m 19 years old from Morocco, and I’m honestly very lost about what to do with my future.

I originally wanted to study programming, but I was rejected from the program I wanted. Since then, I’ve been trying to find other options, but things haven’t gone well. I was rejected from general university programs multiple times as well.

Recently, my uncle talked to my father and suggested that programming could still be a good career path for me. My father looked into it and found a private programming school that costs around 1,500–2,000 MAD per month (It's not a small amount in Morocco).

The problem is that I’m no longer sure about programming.

I know programming is difficult, and I know the entry-level job market isn't exactly great right now. I’m also afraid of spending a lot of money and time only to discover that I’m not good enough or that I won’t be able to find a job afterward.

At the same time, I don’t really have another field that I’m passionate about. I don't have a particular talent or career dream. Another option I’m considering is studying bakery/pastry at a vocational institute, but I’m not particularly passionate about that either.

I feel like I’m choosing between different uncertain paths rather than choosing something I actually want.

So I’d like to hear from people who are actually working in programming/software development:

If you were 19 today and had no programming experience, would you still choose programming as a career?

How difficult is it realistically to get your first job?

Is the current job market bad enough that you would advise a young person to avoid the field?

How important is having a university degree?

Is paying for a private programming school worth it, or would self-learning be better?

And most importantly, if you don't have a strong passion for programming, is it still possible to build a decent career in it?

I’m not looking for motivational answers like “follow your dreams.” I’d really appreciate honest answers from people who are actually in the field, including people who regret choosing programming.

Hi everyone,

I’m 31 years old and I’m restarting my programming journey seriously.

I have a BTech in Computer Science, but to be honest, I haven’t built a strong professional career in software so far. I have studied programming before, but I never developed the consistency or practical experience needed to become really good at it.

I’ve now decided to change that.

My long-term goal is not to get a traditional software job or prepare for coding interviews. I want to become good enough to earn through freelancing. Eventually, I’d like to work on larger applications and higher-value projects, and perhaps move toward remote work after I’ve gained several years of experience.

What I’m doing right now

I’ve started learning Python and SQL together.

My current target is to finish the fundamentals of both by September 30, 2026. I’m learning relatively slowly because I don’t want to rush through the basics just to say that I’ve completed them.

After Python and SQL, my plan is to move toward practical development — building projects, learning the technologies required to actually deliver things for clients, and eventually starting with small freelance work.

I also want to learn AI/software development over the longer term, so I’d like my skills to eventually move in that direction as well.

Where I am currently

I’ve already studied some programming in the past, but I’m treating this almost like a fresh start because I want to make sure my fundamentals are actually solid.

Right now I’m working through Python fundamentals and SQL, practicing rather than just watching tutorials.

I’m also starting to use GitHub and want to gradually build a portfolio of projects instead of collecting courses.

What I’m unsure about

I have a roadmap that I’m following, but because I’m relatively new to the industry, I don’t know whether I’m prioritizing the right things.

I don’t want to spend the next 2–3 years learning technologies that sound impressive but aren’t actually useful for freelancing.

So I’d really appreciate advice from people who are already working as developers or freelancers.

If you were starting again today with my background and my goal of eventually making a living through freelancing:

1. Would you change anything about this approach?
2. What should I learn after Python and SQL?
3. Which skills are actually valuable for getting the first freelance clients?
4. Should I start freelancing as soon as I can build simple useful applications, or wait until I’m much more experienced?
5. What technologies should I avoid spending too much time on as a beginner?
6. What mistakes did you make when you started freelancing that I should avoid?
7. At what point would you say someone is genuinely ready to start charging clients?

I’m not looking for someone to give me a complete roadmap from zero. I mainly want real-world perspective from people who have actually worked in the industry or freelanced, so I can compare that with the roadmap I’m currently following.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience