A developer who started coding at age seven reflects on how the craft has fundamentally changed over four decades. James Randall describes the shift from hands-on systems engineering with 8-bit computers to today's AI-assisted development where the intimate connection between intention and result has been lost.

Randall's formative years spanned the era from Sinclair Spectrum to 486DX2-66, when computers demanded understanding and small teams made bold technical decisions. He watched the industry professionalize through Windows, Plug and Play, and abstraction layers that gradually removed the need to understand underlying systems. The craft became invisible even as computers evolved from fascinating machines to appliances.

Now, AI represents a different kind of shift - not just learning new tools but a fundamental change in what it means to be good at programming. The developer notes that while experience remains valuable for judgment and architectural thinking, the feedback loop has changed. The puzzle-solving satisfaction that kept him coding for decades has been compressed into prompts and responses, leaving experienced developers to question whether the craft distinction still matters in a world where superficially similar output comes from those with far less experience.