Ask HN: Will programmers write more efficient code during the memory shortage?

A Hacker News user asks whether programmers will write more efficient code during a memory shortage, sparking debate about trends in software efficiency. Commenters express skepticism, noting that abundance rather than scarcity drives development, though some report switching to more memory-efficient languages like Go.

Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login Ask HN: Will programmers write more efficient code during the memory shortage? 7 points by amichail 13 minutes ago | hide | past | favorite | 9 comments Maybe there will even be more interest in the invention and use of more advanced algorithms and data structures that use less memory? help novafunc 0 minutes ago | next – I don't see the trend reversing, but if we're lucky, perhaps a freeze. Won't get more efficient but may not get worse. reply johanvts 0 minutes ago | prev | next – Only if people start buying computers with less memory, if they just buy fewer computers it doesn’t seem worhwhile. reply winstonwinston 2 minutes ago | prev | next – Unless users complain it’s not going to happen. Somehow SPA Single-page application consume memory as much as operating system. reply sneilan1 6 minutes ago | prev | next – I've dumped python for anything that doesn't involve scipy / pytorch in favor of go. So yes, I'm having my llm's output go now which is generally more memory efficient than python. reply Uptrenda 4 minutes ago | prev | next – Lad, modern day "programmers" don't even know what memory is. You'll be lucky to find any "software engineer" who can even tell you what a pointer is. reply devin 3 minutes ago | parent | next – I can refer you to some documentation on the topic. ; reply tristanj 7 minutes ago | prev | next – Programmers won't, but LLMs will. reply krapp 0 minutes ago | parent | next – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= n5E7feJHw0 reply wseqyrku 3 minutes ago | prev – I don't think at this point in history limitations drive the the way we do things, abundance does. reply Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact Search: