There will still be art in software
There will still be art in software
软件领域依然会有艺术存在
Originally published on josnun.com. Larger groups gaining access to tools and capabilities that were previously exclusive to the elite is no new phenomenon. Books and literacy, photography, manufacturing (eg, 3D printing), and computing are all examples of capabilities that used to be out of reach of the average person, but are now commonplace. 本文最初发布于 josnun.com。更多群体能够获得曾经仅限于精英阶层的工具和能力，这并非什么新鲜事。书籍与识字、摄影、制造业（如 3D 打印）以及计算技术，都是曾经普通人难以企及、如今却已司空见惯的例子。
With the advent of AI, the next capability to become democratized is seemingly software. With each of these shifts, there have been some naysayers declaring that giving “commonfolk” these tools will destroy the craft, wipe out an entire category of jobs, spoil the capabilities, or otherwise lead to the destruction of society as we know it. 随着人工智能的出现，下一个即将实现“民主化”的能力似乎就是软件开发。伴随着每一次此类变革，总会有反对者声称，将这些工具交给“普通大众”会摧毁相关技艺、消灭整个职业类别、破坏这些能力，或者以其他方式导致我们所知的社会崩溃。
To some extent, this holds true, but broadly speaking, the democratization has enabled new opportunities for the common man, while still making space for those who excel at their craft. Just because everyone has a phone with a camera doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for photographers. Their understanding of composition and what makes a good photo is what sets them apart. That’s only learned through effort, practice, study, and more practice. One doesn’t become an expert photographer just because they have a camera. 在某种程度上，这种说法确实有道理，但从宏观来看，这种民主化为普通人创造了新的机会，同时也为那些在专业领域出类拔萃的人留出了空间。并不是每个人都有带摄像头的手机，摄影师就没有了立足之地。他们对构图的理解以及对“什么是好照片”的认知，才是他们脱颖而出的关键。这些只能通过努力、练习、学习以及不断的实践才能获得。一个人不会仅仅因为拥有一台相机就成为专业摄影师。
The same will hold true for software. AI makes building software seem easy. And that’s great. I’m all for a whole army of people building software that meets their needs, and frees them up to do the work that sets them apart; whether that’s getting better at their job, hobbies, or spending time with their families and communities. 软件领域亦是如此。人工智能让构建软件看起来变得简单，这很好。我完全支持大众去构建满足自身需求的软件，并将他们从繁琐工作中解放出来，去从事那些让他们与众不同的事情；无论是提升工作表现、发展爱好，还是花时间陪伴家人和社区。
Quality software is hard to build, though. There’s a difference between something that “works” and something that works well. The differentiator is quality and attention to detail. Good software is more than just some code slung on a page. There’s design, UX, discovering what doesn’t work, iteration. Using it, and discovering that what you thought you wanted isn’t what you actually wanted; what doesn’t “feel” right. 然而，高质量的软件很难构建。能“运行”的东西和运行得“好”的东西之间是有区别的。区分两者的关键在于质量和对细节的关注。好的软件不仅仅是堆砌在页面上的代码。它还包含设计、用户体验（UX）、发现问题以及迭代。在使用过程中，你会发现你以为自己想要的并不是你真正想要的，或者发现某些地方“感觉”不对。
On some level, there’s an intuition that you build after doing the reps of building software. It’s learning when to trust your intuition, and when you need to prove it. Everyone having the capability to build software is a good thing. There are whole categories of software that would be nice to have, but aren’t financially viable to build a business around. Let the people build it themselves. 在某种程度上，这是一种在反复构建软件的过程中培养出来的直觉。你需要学会何时相信直觉，以及何时需要通过验证来证明它。每个人都具备构建软件的能力是一件好事。有很多类别的软件虽然很有用，但围绕它们建立商业模式在财务上并不可行。那就让人们自己去构建吧。
There may be some people out there whose expertise in other disciplines have made them masters of building good software, but the high barrier to entry has kept them away. People have ideas. Maybe their ability to execute on those ideas will unlock whole new categories of tools and software. I expect that, just like with books, software that has had heart and soul poured into it and is a cut above the rest will rise to the top, raising software quality for everyone. 或许有些人凭借在其他学科的专业知识，本可以成为构建优秀软件的大师，但过高的准入门槛将他们拒之门外。人们有想法，也许他们实现这些想法的能力会开启全新的工具和软件类别。我期待着，就像书籍一样，那些倾注了心血、出类拔萃的软件终将脱颖而出，从而提升所有人的软件质量。
When everyone can produce, quality becomes the differentiator. Great software makes you feel things; it’s art. That’s why I’m hopeful. There’s a certain joy that I’ve been able to unlock by building what lives in my imagination, and I’m excited to see that joy come to others. Will this transition be smooth? I doubt it. I’m sure there will be rough spots and setbacks, but the promise of a new class of software and the potential for refined craft still leaves me optimistic. 当每个人都能进行创作时，质量就成了区分优劣的关键。伟大的软件能触动人心；它就是艺术。这就是我充满希望的原因。通过构建想象中的事物，我获得了一种独特的快乐，我也很兴奋能看到其他人也能体验到这种快乐。这个过渡会平稳吗？我对此表示怀疑。我相信过程中会有坎坷和挫折，但新一代软件的前景以及精湛技艺的潜力，依然让我保持乐观。