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After I wrote something about vibe coding the other day, a lot has happened. I’m not really a big fan of the ubiquitous AI hype, but I also can’t afford to get left behind. I work in IT and have at least 20 years left in the field. So I took a closer look at the topic and signed up for a Claude subscription. While searching for projects I could implement with it, three tools gradually came to mind that either don’t exist or don’t exist the way I’d like them to. I was able to implement all three projects quickly and efficiently, and I’m actually using them. Here’s an overview:
- My own SSG : This site is no longer written by hand in HTML or built with an off-the-shelf static site generator (SSG), but rather with an SSG tailored precisely to my needs. It has exactly the features I need and nothing more. It’s written in Python, has no dependencies, and, at 500 lines of code, is very manageable. I’m definitely capable of maintaining and customizing this software even without AI.
- Web SDR -> Radio Sync Chrome extension : This software doesn’t exist as is, at least not on Linux, and it solves a problem that had really been getting me down. With this extension, I can finally get back to shortwave radio and enjoy my hobby again. Without AI, I wouldn’t have been able to do that.
- Backupkrake : Here, too, I didn't find anything that met my requirements. I've always wanted a simple, centrally managed backup system that doesn't require clients, can perform encrypted remote backups, and so on. Could I have written this tool myself? No, definitely not. Maybe with a lot of time and effort, but I'm not willing to invest that.
So what has changed in my attitude toward this topic? Quite a bit, but not everything:
I can’t blame anyone for looking at the Git repository and thinking, “Nah, I’d rather not. It’s a one-man show, cobbled together and who knows if the project will even continue in the future.” And rightly so. I don’t know either.
Wouldn't handmade software be better? Not if I had written it. It was only through AI-assisted development that I was able to make it a reality at all. Plus, I learned a hell of a lot, which is also important for my work.
Am I proud of these projects? Kind of, kind of not. The ideas came from me, but the implementation didn’t. I can’t be proud of the code itself, but I am proud of the idea and the implementation. Mainly, though, I’m more than satisfied that my problems were solved.
Ultimately, the projects are open source. Anyone can review them for themselves before they’re put into use, clone them, and modify them. With AI, it’s like hiring someone to write custom software but with the difference that I end up with the code and can do whatever the license I chose allows me to do with it. And I certainly couldn’t afford to outsource the development of such tools.
We're definitely living in crazy times.