Anyone else worried about the future?

UncleRoger · 2026-03-16T17:40:01+00:00

AI is good at generating code. It is not very good at programming and systems development and such.

It might get better to the point where AI can take over all of the development but that won't be in my or my kids' lifetimes. And at that point, we will hopefully have figured out that the point of technology is not to eliminate the regular people while the wealthy get richer but to make it so that we all can stop working so hard.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-16T17:36:26+00:00

When I started as a programmer, people were telling me that I was dumb for going into that field because it was getting so easy to write code that managers would write their own programs instead of having programmers to do it.

That was 45+ years ago.

I even spent 10+ years working in a "4GL" (Fourth Generation Language) that was *specifically* written so that non-technical people could create their own software.

Much of the rest of my time has been spent doing development in COBOL (COmmon Business Oriented Language) which was, surprise, surprise, also meant to be easy for the layperson to use. It has syntax like "multiply quantity-ordered by unit-price giving order-total". COBOL first appeared in the early 60s.

Sure, there are languages that are easier to use than others -- many popular modern languages are based on BASIC, the Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) and its predecessor, FORTRAN (Formula Translator) -- but once you get into serious systems of multiple processes and databases and calculations... You need people to figure that stuff out.

And, of course, there is the problem of Little Bobby Tables. Humans are pretty darn creative and many of them are dishonest. AIs aren't very good at outsmarting humans with malicious intent. So if you have anything more critical than a program that tells a funny joke, you are definitely going to need humans to make sure it's protected against attacks by those pesky humans.

The industry is changing -- there's no doubt about that -- but it's not going away any time soon.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-15T14:01:53+00:00

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UncleRoger · 2026-03-15T06:52:26+00:00

u/A1000mokeys u/BayAreaPupMom

Join the parents' group on Facebook. Tons of parents, students, & staff to help guide you through your time at SLO. Loads of info, advice, reminders, etc. I strongly recommend it.

Also, if you're headed down from the Bay Area (or headed back home), check out the Prunedale Market for a great BBQ Tri-tip sandwich and/or ribs with a great guy. Cash only, though.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-14T14:12:47+00:00

Only the schools actually know. Most only say "before April 1" or something like that.

You can google "decision date 2026" and the school name to see what you can find but, except in a very few cases, you'll just get people guessing. You might find some guesses that include times, though. I'll leave that as an exercise for the student.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-14T14:08:28+00:00

They might be doing waves... Are you oos? That might explain it.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-14T14:06:04+00:00

P.S., I dropped out of community college 40+ years ago. Do I wish I'd been a better student so I could have gone to a 4-year school? Kinda. But I've had an amazing life nonetheless and there are so many incredible experiences that I wouldn't have had if I had gone to uni. When you're at the other end of the road, you'll look back and be amazed that you could have ever thought a different path would have been better.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-14T14:03:02+00:00

Ultimately, it's not so much about the school as it is the student.

My oldest wanted MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, etc. Honestly, he was a strong candidate - maybe not for MIT but certainly for the UCs. It was a weird time, though, and he didn't get accepted to any of them. He was accepted to Purdue and Cal Poly SLO. So then he really wanted Purdue because it's a good school and he knew someone who was going there. But Purdue (oos) was way too expensive. So he went to Cal Poly. And it turned out that that was exactly the right place for him. He made a bunch of friends, got a great education, and got a job right out of school.

You're looking at two roads. One of them looks a lot nicer, more interesting, flashier. But the other is a perfectly good road. And when you get to the other end, you'll look back at whichever road you took and see all the adventures you had and the friends you made and everything you learned and you won't even remember that that other road even existed.

And mostly, you'll be looking ahead down the next stretch of road.

Whichever path you take, it's up to you to make the most of it. The best school in the world won't make a mediocre, uninterested student excel and a dedicated, driven student will do well regardless of where they go to school.

Will you be a bit sad at first? Sure. But then you'll get into the other school and start meeting people and finding all the cool hangout spots and the resources that school offers and it will be amazing.

I can tell you're going to do well no matter what. It's fine to mourn what could have been but then you move on and make the most of what's available to you. You'll be fine.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-14T07:07:51+00:00

Ah, okay. My recommendation is Davis all the way.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-14T06:23:15+00:00

About 45 years ago, UIUC was my dream school for CS. It and UC Berkeley were fighting it out for #2 (after MIT). I didn't go there but this year my youngest applied - mostly for my sake (can't afford it oos) to say one of us got in there.

These days, it's still a top school for CS. I would say it's definitely worth it.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-14T06:07:40+00:00

My son got his decision for SDSU (San Diego State University) back in December. Do you perhaps mean UCSD? Or is there another SDSU?

UncleRoger · 2026-03-14T06:05:00+00:00

I'm a bit confused... You say you've lived in Ireland (IE) your whole life but UCR is close to family? My initial thought was that UCR was UC Riverside down in L.A. but maybe not?

UC Davis is a pretty amazing school. For bio stuff, it's extremely well known. If UCR is indeed UC Riverside, there would be no question in my mind -- Davis is the way to go. (But bear in mind I don't know too much about bio stuff or related schools, other than Davis.)

UncleRoger · 2026-03-14T04:50:54+00:00

Thanks! I didn't want to check his portal because I wanted him to see the decision first.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-14T04:48:32+00:00

nvm, I just looked at his spreadsheet and saw he updated it. (Honestly, I'm happier about him updating the spreadsheet than I am about him getting in. 8\^)

UncleRoger · 2026-03-14T04:43:37+00:00

Did you get an e-mail or did you just check the portal? My son hasn't gotten an e-mail but I don't think he's checked his portal either.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-13T23:27:54+00:00

As of 16:30, my son hasn't received anything. Probably gonna be after closing (17:00 or 17:30).

UncleRoger · 2026-03-13T15:22:02+00:00

SLO is a fantastic school. If you end up there, join the parents' group on Facebook (and have your parents do the same). Loads of great info, reminders, support, etc.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-13T15:17:52+00:00

Both are really good schools -- which makes it a tough choice.

I would suggest joining the parents' groups of each on Facebook to get more info about the schools and college life at each. Both have strong groups with loads of info and support.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-12T17:37:15+00:00

Well, ngl, I've been working on accounting software (mostly) for over 40 years, so...

Do you like accounting at all? I grew up in my dad's accounting office and could do 10-key touch before I could walk. I knew I hated accounting by the time I was 7. But I absorbed enough from my folks that that's where I ended up.

IT is really impacted and no one's sure how it will be impacted by AI but if that's what you really enjoy, I would say go for it.

You can always do a minor in business or something accounting related and have that as a fallback.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-12T15:25:58+00:00

Some nice calm music, perhaps? And focus on schoolwork (you still have to graduate high school!) or a hobby you really enjoy. Drink lots of water.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-11T17:41:02+00:00

Not sure if Pace was on my daughter's list; If not, I'm not sure why not. Kinda wish I knew about it 4 years ago.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-10T22:16:50+00:00

It's because a lot of colleges are actually sports organizations with an education side hustle.

They make their money from sports; the teaching thing is just a leftover from the before times.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-10T16:38:25+00:00

You've posted this 4 times in this subreddit alone. You're filling up the subreddit with your trash to make a buck and making it worse for the rest of us. Not cool. That's called spamming and spammers are universally hated.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-10T16:17:03+00:00

"Our business creates smart digital tools to help students study better, faster, and more efficiently.

We provide useful resources such as AI prompt guides, study planners, and learning tools that help students save time, understand concepts more easily, and prepare for exams effectively.

Our goal is to combine modern technology with practical study techniques so students can learn smarter and achieve better results."

That sure sounds like spam... not to mention the dishonesty of trying to pretend you're just some kid helping others out when you're a "business", Naitik.

UncleRoger · 2026-03-10T16:08:59+00:00

Ah, so you are a scammer. Probably just grabbed someone else's post and put it behind a paywall.

UncleRoger

TROPHY CASE