alt Hacker News> They didn’t even get to that point. Because my friend didn’t have the vocabulary to ask the AI to write code.
What harness did you use?
In e.g. claude, there are two modes:
1. Spit out code 2. Draft a plan, ask questions, GOTO 1
You literally have to go out of your way to get it NOT to write code. I keep mine on a tight-ish leash because it modify code way too happily even when there's no intention or instruction to do so
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How would an absolute newbie know what a harness is? What an IDE is? That code is represented in a set of files? That some of those files are actually metadata? What metadata is? What GOTO means? That you're suggesting a modified SDLC?
None of this is related to intelligence, desire or potential. It's about context and experience. The vast majority of people use their computers as consumption devices, like a TV. If I asked you to "make a movie" where would you start?
Harness? I am an avid HN reader but even I don't yet fully understand how this word is used in the AI context. Which is exactly the point of the OP.
It all boils down to naming things and cache invalidation, /s
> my friend is a novice and needs extra help with things like: copy pasting the code into a text file
I don't think this is using an agent harness.