Changelog Master Feed What actually makes you senior (Changelog News #172)
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Dec 1, 2025 What truly defines a senior developer? Matheus Lima shares insights on reducing ambiguity and turning fuzzy tasks into clear objectives. Tega Brain introduces a browser extension that filters out AI-generated content, raising questions about its sustainability. Andrew Kelley discusses moving the Zig programming language from GitHub due to concerns over its engineering culture. Plus, discover the risks of SSD data retention and how programming languages help manage complexity in coding.
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Ambiguity Reduction Defines Seniority
- Senior engineers stand out by reducing ambiguity rather than by ticking off checklist items.
- Asking clarifying questions drives clarity, ownership, and better solutions.
Make Fuzzy Work Concrete First
- When handed something fuzzy, make it concrete before coding to enable confident execution.
- Spend time upfront clarifying assumptions instead of waiting or diving straight into code.
Filter Search Results To Pre-AI Content
- Use Tega Brain's browser extension to filter search results to before Nov 30, 2022 to avoid AI-generated content.
- This ensures returned content was produced before ChatGPT's public release and likely human-authored.