DEV Community: Adam Crockett 🌀

What's Beyond the Vibe Code Era?

Adam Crockett 🌀 — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 19:49:46 +0000

I think I can answer this in 2 questions.

Q: What was the point of a programming language?

A: Humans could write code that translates to a lower level like binary or bytecode.

Q: What is the point in asking a computer to write a human language to write a computer language?

A: it makes absolutely no sense unless the point is so that humans can maintain the output.

Then this is proof of a fact. As long as AI outputs human interoperable language, there will ALWAYS be programers.

But here's the thing, this is going to be a nasty world to live in, people fighting for fewer and fewer jobs, when we could do something far better, more open, more alive.

What I am talking about here is LLM to output not a program, but a system which follows one standard, a standard of how to arrange onesself to perform a specific goal, a system that is governed by a single runtime which runs everywhere, AI and just bytecode - a living programming language that is just an allowance of resources with a goal, that the AI forms the program on the fly, its successfull behaviours are locked in place as the for the runtime of that program, like a cache for behavior, talking in bitecode or binary as we don't need programming languages anymore.

Who works on this type of system?
Anyone

But only ideas, good, and better - this will pay our bills.

Say no to poor Ticket work, it's okay!

Adam Crockett 🌀 — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:42:27 +0000

Beware, not every ticket should be worked even if it comes from on high, your PO EM, whoever may have authority but that doesn't mean their tickets are automatically valid.

I pray that you have the ability to push back 🫷 when needed, because this skill isn't something GPT can help you with. It will save you hours of work sometimes to just read the ticket and think really hard, is this even possible, valid or worth our time.

I wish I knew this when I stared.

It's easy for me to say this, I know my tribal knowledge, the stuff that can take 6m to pickup, and you probably can't do what I'm saying until then.

I'm back baby! 🐥

Visual Generated Blogging

Adam Crockett 🌀 — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 16:21:35 +0000

I have a client, yep actual work, and they have blogs with lots of photos because they hold events, but they don't really write about it.

How can we solve that?

Invert blogging, normally we add photos and describe them, but as you know AI can describe what is going on in a photo.

What if each photo you uploaded photo creates a fragment.

two young and old people stand by a 1900 green tractor

I suppose It's a little like alt-text idea but supercharged.

The sum of all the photos should be able to describe the blog post, then its a matter of giving a little prompted context and boom we have the full prompt, finally a proof read as the "editor" of the article and we are done here.

The UI Concept

Sounds like a fun experiment?

Things to know about Global Dependencies with Dev Containers

Adam Crockett 🌀 — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 22:19:22 +0000

Node.js is one of a few runtime that packs the dependencies locally, similar to C where you make dynamic linked libraries etc.
Python, Ruby and others usually store your dependencies system wide.
This idea of local dependencies in Node.js allows us to ship all sorts of things, for better or worse... It used to be just JavaScript but people started to ship an entire runtime, Bun as an example can be a dependency of a Node.js project, so can headless chrome, if its an entire executable program, should it be in NPM?
Lets gloss over that.. this is the inversion of the problem of global vs local, as the local becomes the new global, the problem isn't solved its moved.

Switcheroo

In devcontainers the global dependency are scoped within the container, this flips the above on its head, if the point was to ship dependencies with your project, but your entire environment is your project, then whats the point in local dependencies anymore?

Yes, I think there is, I can think of a situation where you might want to stay local, even in a container, many developers have not yet taken on devcontainers yet, they should give it a try, but they might not see the benefit until they do try, in that case supporting this use case means writing the project in a traditional local dependency way, which is actually more work in dockerfiles and scripting, no scripting is obviously preferred.

Redundant

So then you are supporting devcontainers and local development, I’ll level with you, I’m on team devcontainers, you should not support both, you need to make a call, choose one and drop support for the other, there is no point in adding overhead to development, but know that devcontainres are showing some real potential, they offer;
a way out of the not on my machine problem,
a way out of on-boarding new developers problem, the what’s your version problem, all while adding your entire dev environment into the project version controlled and shared, centralised and fixable, and are really something you need to consider seriously.

Job search week … umm 4

Adam Crockett 🌀 — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 19:30:41 +0000

Alright Alright it’s going nicely, I’ve got multiple interviews sometimes having 2 on the same day to maximise my chances, I’ve got a good number of interviews lined up as well. And for those who haven’t yet, trust the process, don’t sink to that dark place for very long and look for the light in people around you. I say keep plugging away, you need to do a few things:

brush up your LinkedIn like they say on YouTube, … okay they don’t have a saying for this.
post engaging content and tips regularly on LinkedIn
apply for 1 or 2 jobs per day
rest when everyone else rests
ask for jobs in Facebook groups that might have tech people
consider anything and then narrow it down you have time if you are smart about it
start a new skill that would lead you to the job after this one, remember learning is for you, not for your job right now, but it could benefit both

It’s not over for me but I’m finally feeling confident and still a little afraid of tech tasks but something has to work out 💪

A future without Git

Adam Crockett 🌀 — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 17:36:08 +0000

Very hand wavey post! 👋

The more I think about Git and all version control systems today the more I question it.

It’s complex, and intimidating for the beginner, and least a continuous risk.

Thinking about what we could do instead. The problem of decentralised local development machines, (and yes that’s really a problem) could be a thing of the past if we all adopted some sort of real time per “branch” or channel or what have you and maybe something like devcontainers and liveshare could could allow everyone on that branch to keep up to date inside a container.

Instead of merging in the traditional way you could do something with container snaphots keeping the latest code and the environment up to date then converge that and the entire environment together with others in a release candidate, maybe Ai could handle the actual merging.

Oh the future… who knows 😊

Stay Playful, Neurodiversity

Adam Crockett 🌀 — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 19:13:30 +0000

I’ve got a trampoline in my kitchen!

Why Adam, why do you have a trampoline in your kitchen?

My son needs to regulate and that means using things to stimulate his vestibular senses. That’s the sense that helps you feel where you are in space.
If it’s under active, you might feel uncomfortable and floaty, and generally grouchy.

But do I use it? Yes I do, I’ve been working out for my piece of mind and today I tried the trampoline, I’m a long time ADHDer with signs of Autism so I take note of the things that help him so that I can calm down too, particularly in job interview situations which for people like us is extremely challenging.

Today I had a job interview and I did the following:

Lock myself in a quiet room for an hour.
Take some fidgets
drink coffee because I don’t yet have any medication this is the best I have
drink water
read about recent successes
read about the company and its hiring statements
breath
JUMP ON TRAMPOLINE
Yoga

It all helped.

Unfortunately after all that the role was not quite what I had expected to interview for and no indication was given that it was a lead position, I’m heading that way but not yet.

So as one door closed another door opens.

Keep jumping

How’s the job search going?

Adam Crockett 🌀 — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 17:22:03 +0000

I primal scream could be an appropriate way to express myself today as I find myself lost in translation online.

Maybe it’s the full moon where I am. The thing is all I want in this world is to go back to work and do my damn hardest to learn, teach and grow.

I’ve picked up a new interest in C# this week and for the first time in a while I’m actively learning it on code academy.

I also made my first video content about using XState with TDD, I think I need to make another video about something on point, Nextjs perhaps 🤔

I’m also grappling with my confidence, I had an interview that was less aligned with the post listed which caused a no proceeding situation.

I have 2m to find a job and the countdown starts on the 1st

Wish me luck, can’t focus on the negative.

Looking Work when you have dependents 🙈😩

Adam Crockett 🌀 — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 16:43:54 +0000

Admins I would appreciate if you can boost this post.

I’m in a tight spot and I think so many are. I remember 2 months ago thanking my lucky stars and researching what happens if you are looking for work right now.

It’s a scary time for me and family.

My son needs a specialist school and I don’t think he would understand the changes if we lost the home I worked so hard to get for him. it would ruin his progress, it isn’t worth thinking about, so let’s stay positive.

Important

Here My Linked In Profile
Please can you comment on my looking for work past, Also if you know anyone who might help even just a comment for reach it all helps!

❤️

Favourite non fiction book?

Adam Crockett 🌀 — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 19:11:08 +0000

What is your favourite non fiction book in this digital age, I think it's important to value books and skills, but what one gives you the warm fuzziness as your read it particularly non fiction. "Wow I'm not even sure this information is online"

Cooeee World! Passenger 🗞️🐦

Adam Crockett 🌀 — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 08:20:56 +0000

I have written extensively about a new category of tools known as Code Alignment Assistants. Both Passenger and I are frustrated by the significant challenge of aligning developer efforts with business objectives. This often requires extensive reasoning, adherence to various agile methodologies, and a range of ceremonies—a process not all developers are comfortable with. Many of us entered the field of programming because we enjoy coding itself, not necessarily the additional processes that have become associated with it. I firmly believe that integrating an AI between the developer and their tasks can streamline this translation of business needs to developer actions, reducing the need for formal processes. I am so convinced of this idea’s potential that I have decided to establish a new organization to pursue it further.

It's FOSS tooling, it's not for profit and it's free, it will make your life better by taking all of the reasoning out of your work and replace it with plain English. Complex issue/tickets become as easy to follow as a conversation with your family.

Passenger org is now going to be keep the updates flying in.

Code Alignment Assistants are the future of your ceremonies, we already have co-pilot for your code but this is something different. Imagine going to work, developing, pointing an AI at an issue, and getting to work, as you code you get feedback about your choices versus the business requirements, scoring your efforts and how closely they address the business needs, a form of testing that once above a threshold will pass.

Peckish? Follow me for more!

(Code Alignment Assistant) Passenger gains GPT-4 accuracy and GitHub App Integration

Adam Crockett 🌀 — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 23:26:22 +0000

Pigeon Progress!

Just a quick refresher on my thoughts: I'm convinced that Passenger has the potential to transform our development approach. By enhancing BDD with AI and enabling AI to evaluate our code against the desired solution directly from our issue tracker (in this case, GitHub), we can gain unprecedented insights. This feedback loop will not only alert us to errors but also offer improvement suggestions. It's about streamlining our processes, shedding unnecessary formalities, and accelerating our pace. Most importantly, it underscores the notion of empowering humans in the development process, rather than replacing them with AI. It's a game-changer, putting humans at the forefront of innovation.

Security improvements

To prepare Passenger for enterprise-level deployment and launch, I've developed a GitHub app. This can be seamlessly integrated into your individual GitHub repositories or an entire organization. The beauty of this is that it offers fine-tuned permissions, ensuring Passenger access only what's necessary. No more reliance on Personal access tokens or individual developers; you can now grant permissions organization-wide. And guess what? We're gearing up for the next big thing - Actions! By doing all of this work we addressed a significant security concern by eliminating the need for personal access tokens.

Simply install the GitHub App (note: it's still in private beta) and set up the Passenger CLI. Input your environment variables, and you're all set to enjoy helpful pigeons!

Here is what the GitHub App description has to say: (feel free to skip if you understand what Passenger is already.)

Have you ever meticulously coded a solution, only to discover it wasn't addressing the core issue? That's where Passenger comes in.

Passenger is a Code-Alignment Assistant (CAA) the first in its class, crafted with the belief in a harmonious co-working future between AI and developers. Our tool enhances development workflows, ensuring code consistency with project issues and fostering a collaborative environment where AI and human intelligence complement each other.

Passenger establishes a bridge between GitHub issues and your codebase, providing a robust tool for developers to validate that their work aligns with documented requirements and discussions. It offers the ability to compare the current state of your source code, staged changes, or pull requests against the details outlined in GitHub issues. This ensures a clear and accurate code-to-issue alignment, aiding in maintaining consistency and adherence to project specifications.

Permissions
Read access to code, discussions, issues, metadata, and pull requests

Demo time!

Im going to let the shell do the talking a moment.
coo-cart.js, it's the wrong solution on purpose

let cart = [];

function addToCart(productId, productName, productPrice) {
  let productInCart = cart.find((product) => product.id === productId);

  if (productInCart) {
    productInCart.quantity += 1;
  } else {
    cart.push({
      id: productId,
      name: productName,
      price: productPrice,
      quantity: 1,
    });
  }

  renderCart();
}

function renderCart() {
  const cartItemsElement = document.getElementById("cartItems");
  cartItemsElement.innerHTML = "";

  let total = 0;

  for (let product of cart) {
    const listItem = document.createElement("li");
    listItem.textContent = `${product.name} (x${product.quantity}) - $${
      product.price * product.quantity
    }`;
    cartItemsElement.appendChild(listItem);

    total += product.price * product.quantity;
  }

  document.getElementById("totalPrice").textContent = total;
}

# Report on issue 1 from our github repo which has the Github App installed.
passenger score 1 ./docs/sample/src/coo-cart.js

GithubConnector
adam-cyclones/passenger

      ░░                                                                      
      ░░████░░                                                                
        ██▒▒▓▓                                                                
        ▓▓▒▒██                                                                
      ▒▒▒▒░░░░▒▒                                                              
      ▓▓░░░░    ██░░░░                                                        
      ▒▒░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▓▓██░░                                                    
        ▓▓  ░░░░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓                                                    
        ░░▒▒▓▓▒▒                                                              
          ░░▒▒    ░░                                                          
          ░░░░          Cooeee! Percy is working please remain calm..                             

Issue recieved... #1 "Add Customisable Pigeon Animations for Nest Notifications" (fetched from live)
Converting issue to cucumber format...
The cucumber...
""" feature
 Feature: Customizable Pigeon Animations for Nest Notifications

Background: As a user of PigeonTasks app, 
  I want to customize pigeon animations for Nest Notifications, 
  So that I can enhance my user experience and add personalized touches to the app.

Scenario: Selecting Pigeon Animation from the Library 
  Given there is a selection of pigeon-themed animations
  When I go to select an animation for my notifications
  Then I should see a range of pigeon animations (from a dancing pigeon to one in themed costumes)

Scenario: Personalizing Settings for Pigeon Animations
  Given there is 'Personalized Settings' option
  When I select specific animations for tasks coming from certain friends or for tasks with certain tags/labels
  Then those specific animations should be set according to my preference

Scenario: Previewing Pigeon Animation
  Given there is an option to preview the animation before setting it 
  When I select an animation from the library
  Then I should be able to preview it within the app

Scenario: Checking Performance post Animation Implementation 
  Given there are new pigeon animations additions
  When I use the PigeonTasks app 
  Then the app's performance should not be hindered or cause lag when notifications pop up 
"""
Comparing... './docs/sample/src/coo-cart.js'
Generating report...
{
  "accuracy": 0,
  "analysis": "The provided source code is not related to the described issue. The code is about product shopping cart operations like adding to cart and rendering the cart, which doesn't pertain to the feature described about customizable pigeon animations for Nest Notifications in a task application. Therefore, the accuracy of the source code to address the issue is 0%."
}

This is now using Chat GPT 4 and that took care of the bugs and allows for much better reports!

How would I use this? Whats next?

Im really excited to start caching some of the responses, speeding it up, improving it and maybe even adding a UI who knows, a SASS, a Pipeline? You can hope to have this as part of your test suite locally as you develop and also in a PR as a check that must pass a threshold.

Percy and Passenger away!