Bill Pugh
@bill-pugh.bsky.social
Retired Professor of computer science at UMD, and engineer at Apple on exposure notifications.
Active maker, burner, traveler, husband, father.
Active maker, burner, traveler, husband, father.
How about providing a way to opt out of all ActBlue emails and messages? For example, I’m getting donation spam to a work email that I never want to receive political solicitations on.
August 6, 2025 at 9:57 PM
How about providing a way to opt out of all ActBlue emails and messages? For example, I’m getting donation spam to a work email that I never want to receive political solicitations on.
And I’m delighted that Derek reached out, and that he’ll be helping me offer the course. It is going to be better and more fun with Derek involved.
www.cs.umd.edu/class/fall20...
www.cs.umd.edu/class/fall20...
CMSC398Z - Coding with AI
www.cs.umd.edu
July 30, 2025 at 10:58 PM
And I’m delighted that Derek reached out, and that he’ll be helping me offer the course. It is going to be better and more fun with Derek involved.
www.cs.umd.edu/class/fall20...
www.cs.umd.edu/class/fall20...
Error in the report: Louisiana, where subsidence is causing between 25 to 35 square _feet_ of land loss per year.
Should be square _miles_.
Should be square _miles_.
June 2, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Error in the report: Louisiana, where subsidence is causing between 25 to 35 square _feet_ of land loss per year.
Should be square _miles_.
Should be square _miles_.
Given how LLMs work, I’m not particularly surprised by these weird small errors. More, I’m surprised that these kinds of errors occur so rarely that it isn’t an obstacle to using them for writing code.
May 11, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Given how LLMs work, I’m not particularly surprised by these weird small errors. More, I’m surprised that these kinds of errors occur so rarely that it isn’t an obstacle to using them for writing code.
Repost with your favorite James Bond (Wrong answers only)
April 20, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Repost with your favorite James Bond (Wrong answers only)
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I’m avoiding coming down on the question of whether coding assistants are already widely used, or are too flawed to be used for anything other than code completion. I’ve seen both viewpoints.
At this point, I think it is clear that it is very possible that they will be widely used in 3-5 years.
I’m avoiding coming down on the question of whether coding assistants are already widely used, or are too flawed to be used for anything other than code completion. I’ve seen both viewpoints.
At this point, I think it is clear that it is very possible that they will be widely used in 3-5 years.
April 4, 2025 at 4:26 PM
🧵
I’m avoiding coming down on the question of whether coding assistants are already widely used, or are too flawed to be used for anything other than code completion. I’ve seen both viewpoints.
At this point, I think it is clear that it is very possible that they will be widely used in 3-5 years.
I’m avoiding coming down on the question of whether coding assistants are already widely used, or are too flawed to be used for anything other than code completion. I’ve seen both viewpoints.
At this point, I think it is clear that it is very possible that they will be widely used in 3-5 years.
🧵
I asked ChatGPT to do a deep research to prepare a report. It was useful, but didn’t identify any efforts at universities other than the UCSD link above.
chatgpt.com/share/67ed92...
I asked ChatGPT to do a deep research to prepare a report. It was useful, but didn’t identify any efforts at universities other than the UCSD link above.
chatgpt.com/share/67ed92...
ChatGPT - AI Coding Assistants Impact
Shared via ChatGPT
chatgpt.com
April 4, 2025 at 4:26 PM
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I asked ChatGPT to do a deep research to prepare a report. It was useful, but didn’t identify any efforts at universities other than the UCSD link above.
chatgpt.com/share/67ed92...
I asked ChatGPT to do a deep research to prepare a report. It was useful, but didn’t identify any efforts at universities other than the UCSD link above.
chatgpt.com/share/67ed92...
🧵
I know that UCSD has updated their intro course, but I don’t know if they have made changes throughout their curriculum.
today.ucsd.edu/story/in-thi...
I know that UCSD has updated their intro course, but I don’t know if they have made changes throughout their curriculum.
today.ucsd.edu/story/in-thi...
In This Era of AI, Will Everyone Be a Programmer?
ChatGPT and Large Language Models are viewed by many as a threat to the field of computer science education because they’re able to produce code on command. But the retooled, foundational course, “Int...
today.ucsd.edu
April 4, 2025 at 4:26 PM
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I know that UCSD has updated their intro course, but I don’t know if they have made changes throughout their curriculum.
today.ucsd.edu/story/in-thi...
I know that UCSD has updated their intro course, but I don’t know if they have made changes throughout their curriculum.
today.ucsd.edu/story/in-thi...
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4) Developers will spend less time doing what typical programming assignments ask them to do: given a precise description of a project, write code that implements it. However, assignments like these might be helpful in building up the intellectual scaffolding needed in software development jobs.
4) Developers will spend less time doing what typical programming assignments ask them to do: given a precise description of a project, write code that implements it. However, assignments like these might be helpful in building up the intellectual scaffolding needed in software development jobs.
April 4, 2025 at 4:26 PM
🧵
4) Developers will spend less time doing what typical programming assignments ask them to do: given a precise description of a project, write code that implements it. However, assignments like these might be helpful in building up the intellectual scaffolding needed in software development jobs.
4) Developers will spend less time doing what typical programming assignments ask them to do: given a precise description of a project, write code that implements it. However, assignments like these might be helpful in building up the intellectual scaffolding needed in software development jobs.
🧵
3) Less focus on details of syntax and APIs, when tools will be able to fill in many of those details.
3) Less focus on details of syntax and APIs, when tools will be able to fill in many of those details.
April 4, 2025 at 4:26 PM
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3) Less focus on details of syntax and APIs, when tools will be able to fill in many of those details.
3) Less focus on details of syntax and APIs, when tools will be able to fill in many of those details.
🧵
2) More focus on higher-level tasks, such as given an ambiguous problem statement, working to figure out exactly what is needed to address the problem (including discussions with users and other stakeholders).
2) More focus on higher-level tasks, such as given an ambiguous problem statement, working to figure out exactly what is needed to address the problem (including discussions with users and other stakeholders).
April 4, 2025 at 4:26 PM
🧵
2) More focus on higher-level tasks, such as given an ambiguous problem statement, working to figure out exactly what is needed to address the problem (including discussions with users and other stakeholders).
2) More focus on higher-level tasks, such as given an ambiguous problem statement, working to figure out exactly what is needed to address the problem (including discussions with users and other stakeholders).