Comment by mannanj

Not true. I can clearly program, have been programming and remembered syntax for about 10 years, and during that 10 years saw the rise and application of tools like IDE and AI improving and accelerating the experience.

As I have been using the AI natural language-as-an-interface coding tools I have gone into the IDE to actually write code a lot less. I read more; and reading is not the same skill as writing. I couldn't remember the syntax as much and by what I mean is some of the simple things like in python to iterate over an object is it an iteritems() or is there a dot between or things like that, and can I do a for index, key in array, and do I need to do like array() to do that. And this is because I always did used to code between languages and alternate fast between javascript, typescript and python and earlier in my career I used to have to remember this (because googling coudl take too long), over time and now I can easily have autocomplete and even AI llm tell me, so I don't remember or waste my energy remembering what the exact syntax is. In my head it's just "I know I need to loop through this, do it in the language Python wants to hear" and why would I bother remembering? so naturally I've forgotten the simple things.

I could clearly, definitely do the programming position, the only ones wasting time IMO are the ones checking if I can remember verbatim things like "spelling" when we all live in a day and age of spellcheck and tools. No one wastes time trying to remember for all words because it's silly. Or maybe encyclopedias and trivia games are the better analogy, sure it's a party trick, but how does it help you do the job better? it arguably does not, and the ones who have not learned to adapt their interviews to the tools are the ones wasting time.