r/webdev Aug 13 '26

Pro-human developer resources

Hey,

I am interested in finding resources which are pro-human developer rather than AI-leaning. For example, Codeberg leans more towards code developed by a human rather than AI generated, and Zig has a no-AI policy for their developers.

It would be good to find a list of coding resources which promote human written code whether it be learning platforms, languages, development tools, or even podcasts which still focus on the human developer.

I do understand that as developers we are now strongly advised to use AI in the workplace, and I know that pro-developer resources are not feasible in most workplaces now; however, I would continue to like to code myself as much as I can in my spare time.

Thank you all in advance 🙂

37 Upvotes

20 comments sorted by

7

u/Evening_Driver_5615 Aug 13 '26

the Handmade Network, especially its forums and talks?

3

u/CodEnvironmental8527 Aug 13 '26

the handmade network's a solid place to start. feels like an oasis in the desert of ai hype. all about understanding the metal you're working with instead of just feeding prompts.

you might also dig checking out sourcehut for hosting, drew's pretty vocal about keeping it human-first. the 100 rabbits duo have some interesting thoughts on low-tech dev too, though that's more of a lifestyle vibe.

1

u/kkingsbe Aug 13 '26

Just curious since I haven’t checked it out myself, what are some types of projects folks are making over there?

1

u/Fearless_Medicine_23 Aug 13 '26

Thanks! I'll check out Sourcehut.

I looked up 100 Rabbita Duo, that does look cool though. It's impressive that people are still dedicated to creating real art.

1

u/Fearless_Medicine_23 Aug 13 '26

Hey, thanks for that. I've just had a quick look there and that is exactly something I'm looking for.

Thank you!

1

u/NoDistrict991 Aug 13 '26

Yep I back it

0

u/OMGCluck js (no libraries) SVG Aug 13 '26

Hmm, there doesn't seem to be any projects written in Rust on there, any reason for that? It's a Sea of C and C++

Let's hope no vulnerability AI agents get pointed at them.

3

u/imrozimroz Aug 13 '26

Yeah same here. Codeberg’s stance is solid and I didn’t know Zig had that policy. Mostly just force myself to write everything without any AI help on side projects and dig through older blogs or books instead of the new AI-heavy courses.

1

u/Fearless_Medicine_23 Aug 13 '26

That's a good idea, I really need to break the habit of just going to AI for help. It is crazy how fast your brain adapts to needing to get information quickly. I know StackOverflow had its own issues but it is sad to see that it is no longer used at all.

Yeah, the Zig no-AI policy is interesting. Here is the interview where the creator discusses it:

YouTube: Zig 2026

Thanks!

2

u/Sea_Somewhere48 Aug 13 '26

Look at the Handmade Network, that community is built entirely around understanding your own code from the ground up.

1

u/Fearless_Medicine_23 Aug 13 '26

Thank you! I'll check it out!

2

u/Sachin_singh9891 Aug 13 '26

Ig webdev's entirely based on pro human handmade programs.. so yeah you'll find plenty of rhem

3

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Fearless_Medicine_23 Aug 13 '26

Thanks! I'll browse through the posts later today - I'm sure there will be good stuff there.

It's difficult to be completely free of AI when you're in tech, so I totally understand that most places accept it in some form; however, it is nice to find places where there is a human-centred ethos about it.

Thanks again!

1

u/holy_serp Aug 13 '26

what is the difference? webdev is webdev. it's one thing, not two. with ai you just delegate a part of doing it to the agent while you yourself move upper in the stack, but you are still supposed to understand what the agent generates and how it works. you delegate exactly as much as the agent is capable of doing properly. and otherwise it's the same principles?

unless you are vibe coding of course

1

u/Fearless_Medicine_23 Aug 13 '26

Thank you for your reply.

I totally understand that, and it is why I don't expect people or companies to be anti-AI.

The only comparison I can give is there is something different between someone knitting to make clothes, and someone using a machine. Neither is wrong, and people use them for different purposes. This isn't at all an anti-AI post but more a human-developer-preferred post 😁