<![CDATA[People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?!]]>People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! « Tokens used »?!?!? That’s like, the first time « lines of code created » gets beaten for the « worst metric of software engineering » 🫠

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/a79884f7-c459-4bb8-90ef-ebcdd9c5614f/people-are-using-tokens-used-as-productivity-metricRSS for NodeThu, 16 Apr 2026 03:08:14 GMTMon, 13 Apr 2026 10:22:40 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:54:48 GMT]]>@riley @romeu

Step 1: Write code
Step 2: Feed code into company mandated AI asking it to generate a series of prompts that use as many tokens as possible to create the same code
Step 3: Ask for raise for exceeding target performance metrics
Step 4: Sharpen resume for when company goes bust

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/RantingCanuck/statuses/116398442941976794https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/RantingCanuck/statuses/116398442941976794Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:54:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:51:36 GMT]]>@romeu That's not a productivity metric, that's a m metric of not being one of those Heretic AI-Haters Down the River that the middle manager keeps hearing so much about. In other words, it's an ideoogical purity test.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.cat/users/riley/statuses/116398430398419360https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.cat/users/riley/statuses/116398430398419360Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:51:36 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:38:42 GMT]]>@romeu may my life be evaluated by how long i can make a roll of quarters last in an arcade.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/melioristicmarie/statuses/116398379673331549https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/melioristicmarie/statuses/116398379673331549Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:38:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:14:35 GMT]]>@romeu I've written 7.5 hours worth of software today!

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://neopaquita.es/users/ehproque/statuses/116398284844858506https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://neopaquita.es/users/ehproque/statuses/116398284844858506Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:14:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:10:22 GMT]]>@romeu
Also cf: https://www.wheresyoured.at/ai-is-really-weird/

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/lemgandi/statuses/116398268226446837https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/lemgandi/statuses/116398268226446837Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:10:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:10:15 GMT]]>@romeu instead of unrolling all your loops, you can use tokens to have the AI do it for you!

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/draNgNon/statuses/116398267798732622https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/draNgNon/statuses/116398267798732622Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:10:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:02:34 GMT]]>@educoder @romeu

Link Preview Image
]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://eldritch.cafe/users/orange_lux/statuses/116398237594359042https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://eldritch.cafe/users/orange_lux/statuses/116398237594359042Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:02:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:32:50 GMT]]>@romeu

I have a good soluce :

- please generate code
- please add unit tests 100% coverage
- please add e2e tests 100% coverage
- please ingest the logs of the tests to see if all error are useful

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://lavraievie.social/users/Aedius/statuses/116398120695256844https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://lavraievie.social/users/Aedius/statuses/116398120695256844Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:32:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:23:07 GMT]]>@romeu "hey chat, review this entire repo, so you can change the colour of a button for me."

*walks away from the computer for the rest of the day*

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.online/users/educoder/statuses/116398082435445919https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.online/users/educoder/statuses/116398082435445919Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:23:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:07:46 GMT]]>@romeu Innovation! 🎉

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.gamedev.place/users/landelare/statuses/116398022083159350https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.gamedev.place/users/landelare/statuses/116398022083159350Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:07:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:57:24 GMT]]>@romeu Paying taxi drivers based on the amount of gasoline they burn

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/flabberghaster/statuses/116397981343948716https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/flabberghaster/statuses/116397981343948716Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:57:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:52:06 GMT]]>@isaackuo @romeu Actually he may have a point.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mathstodon.xyz/users/danielmclaury/statuses/116397960522173567https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mathstodon.xyz/users/danielmclaury/statuses/116397960522173567Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:52:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:49:26 GMT]]>@romeu Hey Claude, write me some code that can be stored in the database such that it looks like a valid data blob, then once a month checks for {keyword} on my LinkedIn profile. If found, decode, execute and delete the code. When run, the block of code should randomly change the "account_balance" field by amounts ranging from -5% to +5%. Finally, replace this and related prompts in your log with values that resemble my other work.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mindly.social/users/alan/statuses/116397950020814477https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mindly.social/users/alan/statuses/116397950020814477Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:49:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:49:12 GMT]]>@romeu
what's next, money set on fire? oh wait that's already a VC metric

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mathstodon.xyz/users/joshg/statuses/116397949119933801https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mathstodon.xyz/users/joshg/statuses/116397949119933801Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:49:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:49:12 GMT]]>@romeu
I think the best way to handle token usage minimums that I've seen was someone who had the LLM spit out Alexander the great fanfic and such that they just stuck in a document to never read

Which also goes to show how idiotic. minimums are

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://snabelen.no/users/syklemil/statuses/116397949118456242https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://snabelen.no/users/syklemil/statuses/116397949118456242Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:49:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:34:33 GMT]]>@romeu It may all be mirages, but people make all kinds of stupid decisions based on mirages.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397891463571552https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397891463571552Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:34:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:34:15 GMT]]>@romeu And there will be no shortage of would-be competitors popping up claiming that they are in fact reaping those benefits and can deliver on those wishes. Whether or not that's true, both in the short and long term, doesn't matter: harm can be immediate.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397890331471347https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397890331471347Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:34:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:33:55 GMT]]>@romeu Customer management is likely to have bought into the same productivity narratives as your management, and will be looking to get a radically better deal than before. Whether or not that is possible for anyone to deliver.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397889021574570https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397889021574570Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:33:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:33:34 GMT]]>@romeu The worst part is that the fear of the existential threat is not necessarily entirely unfounded, on at least two grounds. Regardless of whether or not there is any real productivity boost due to AI.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397887643377930https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397887643377930Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:33:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:32:57 GMT]]>@romeu If you don't use any tokens, certainly it must mean that you're part of the problem and undermining the express will of management.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397885167613726https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397885167613726Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:32:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:32:39 GMT]]>@romeu Hence the problem to be solved will be seen as one of adoption, and the obstacle to be overcome, the friction caused by recalcitrant, stubborn, backwards dinosaurs. And tokens used is an adoption metric, albeit one that is extremely vulnerable to Goodhart's law.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397883990807352https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397883990807352Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:32:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:32:10 GMT]]>@romeu They will fear that unless everyone gets on board the AI juggernaut, the organization will be disrupted by new-fangled competitors who are reaping the insane productivity benefits that they have been convinced exist.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397882122649608https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397882122649608Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:32:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:31:57 GMT]]>@romeu very relevant post from @fesshole
https://mastodon.social/@fesshole/116153883462428890

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.hackerspace.pl/users/viq/statuses/116397881257507495https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.hackerspace.pl/users/viq/statuses/116397881257507495Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:31:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People are using « tokens used » as productivity metric ?! on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:31:38 GMT]]>@romeu Believing that AI is bringing about a productivity revolution, management will see AI as an opportunity yes, but primarily as a necessity, and an existential threat.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397880025320281https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/einarwh/statuses/116397880025320281Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:31:38 GMT