I approach them as a learning aid. My main resources are my Udemy instructors, various web 
forums online resources, and official documentation. But if I still have questions, sometimes an 
llm can help clarify things. You are always better off asking a real person, but sometimes 
people who are not getting paid get tired of answering technical questions.

There is always a danger of becoming overly dependent on the tool, so you have to ask yourself
if you are using it as a crutch or not. And that is not just in work related contexts. If one continues
to consistently outsource higher reasoning capacity to an external tool, one looses the ability to 
think critically. The brain atrophies in the same way any other muscle would that is not being used.

On Jun 9, 2026 at 1:23 PM, Alex Dunn <[log in to unmask]> wrote:You're right to listen to those doubts.  The use of LLMs is a
cognitive hazard, magnified when used in contexts you're not already
an expert in:
https://www.baldurbjarnason.com/2025/trusting-your-own-judgement-on-ai/

The code they produce, even when it functions as intended, is
impossible to maintain: code without an author is tech debt as soon as
it is produced, because there is no individual with the understanding
that comes from writing it.

Even if the above was not the case, widespread use of LLMs is an
environmental and social disaster, consuming resources at a
catastrophic rate and supporting noxious ideologies:
https://aworkinglibrary.com/writing/toolmen

Instead of engaging with LLMs, consider collaborating with other human
colleagues on sustainable, ethical work.

On Mon, Jun 8, 2026 at 6:10 PM Mark Andrews
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> I've not been a list member in some years and recently joined again. I hope
this question - "Whither the ILS or LSP" - is not off-putting. I wonder if this
problem has been solved to death? Here is why I ask.
>
> I received my MLS from Mizzou in May '86 and started my first library job in
June '86. Fast forward and I've worked 40 years. That includes 9 years in the
library automation industry and 9 more years as a systems librarian. The only
thing I've never done is write a serious piece of code. Last November, out of
curiosity and boredom, I started "vibe" coding. I tried out a variety LLMs
before I found one I like using. It cost me $300 or so over 6 months. Not an
outrageous amount of money. A first lesson is it is a rush to see the machine
write code, and I can easily spend myself broke without some discipline.
>
> My tools of choice are Golang, SQL, the Rego configuration language, and the
Qwen3.6 Plus model on opencode.ai.
>
> I have the bare skeleton of something remotely like a product. It's made of
37.5K lines of Golang (excluding a vast amount of generated gRPC protobuf
stubs) and 1,350 of lines SQL for MariaDB. It compiles and I can load bib and
authority records to my heart's content. All greenfield code based on years
spent supporting 6 ILSs, large and small. It was at this point I remembered the
sage advice of "Cookiness Evereat" on Sesame Street, who said, "Wait! Me gotta
stop, and think!"
>
> "Do I really want to build this thing? Really?" Nine years on The Dark Side
made me and broke me. When I found myself perilously close to doing things to
my customers and not for them, I quit. I've felt guilty about that for decades.
Does the profession truly need another tool and am I the person to build it? I
do not know. I do know I can't make this decision alone. I am posting here
looking for honest feedback. Truly, I may be of more use quietly advancing
someone else's project under their leadership.
>
> FYI, I'm an app admin at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. I don't speak for
Creighton in any way, shape or form. I'll finish 20 years there in January
2027. Thank you in advance for your time and help. I wish you all peace and
Days Without Drama (tm).
>
> Mark Andrews