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The Emacsification of Software

sockpuppet.org

May 13, 2026

8 min read

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66/100

Summary

Markdown has become a fundamental format in software development, particularly with the rise of AI. The use of terminal-based user interface (TUI) tools has negatively impacted the reading experience, leading to frustration among developers.

Key Takeaways

Markdown has become a prevalent format in software development, but the reading experience in terminal-based tools is often poor and fatiguing.
Existing Markdown viewers from the App Store frequently lack essential features like text search and proper text copying functionality.
The author created a custom Markdown viewer, MDV.app, which significantly improved their reading experience by incorporating features like text selection, SQLite indexing, and customizable themes.
Many modern applications, including Signal, are built on Electron, leading to performance issues like screen flickering due to their reliance on Chromium.

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Community Sentiment

Mixed

Positives

LLMs are making it increasingly feasible for non-experts to create personal software, bringing us closer to the original vision of home computing.
The ease of software production with LLMs allows individuals to customize their own solutions, making programming more accessible and reducing reliance on prebuilt software.
LLMs excel at automating well-defined tasks, potentially transforming the way we develop applications by simplifying the process from design to deployment.

Concerns

While LLMs facilitate personal software creation, they struggle with maintaining these applications, which could lead to a fragmented software ecosystem.
There are concerns about the potential for a lack of common file formats if everyone relies on proprietary applications generated by LLMs, complicating collaboration.
The reliance on LLMs for software development may lead to a throwaway culture, where the quality and longevity of software are compromised.