iDiallo

I write code for Humans & text for Robots

Ibrahim Diallo

Are you Human?

Latest Blog Posts

The most interesting Articles

Oleophage or Oil Gobblers

Oleophage or Oil Gobblers

I had to share this strange memory from my childhood. Back in the 90s, I was sitting bored, flipping through TV channels like we used to do before streaming. I quickly scrolled past Arte (the German-French cultural channel), but something caught my eye. My fingers were too fast. I had already reached M6 when I decided to go back to Arte.

If We’re All 10x Developers Now, Why Isn’t Open Source Fixed Yet?

If We’re All 10x Developers Now, Why Isn’t Open Source Fixed Yet?

I keep seeing posts like this: “I’m coding in three IDEs at once now! LLMs generate code so fast, I’m basically a demon programmer!”

Smarter Design Trumps Brute Force Every Time

Smarter Design Trumps Brute Force Every Time

Around 2014, I was idly browsing YouTube when I noticed something new in the resolution menu: 4K. TV makers like Sony, LG, and Samsung were already pushing 4K sets hard, but I always thought, “What’s the point when there’s no real 4K content yet?” Now, with YouTube finally offering it, I had my excuse to cave in to all that advertising.

Vibe Coding

Vibe Coding

Describe what you want and AI generates the entire codebase. That’s vibe coding. Imagine you have an LLM that can build a car for you. All you have to say is “Build a car for me, here are the specs.” And it gets started right away. Before you know it, a two ton machine drops in front of you and bounces as the suspension recoils. You open the door, press on the ignition button and nothing happens. Unless you understand how cars work internally, which you don't, your option will be limited to “Rebuild the car, but with a working power button”.

In the Age of AI, Don't Forget About System 2

In the Age of AI, Don't Forget About System 2

A few years ago, I took a job 25 miles from my home in Los Angeles. The city is famous for many things, but for commuters, it's the land of traffic. To avoid this traffic, I immediately reached for a technological solution. Each morning, I would get in my car, turn on GPS navigation, and follow the turn-by-turn directions to work. The route varied daily as the app sought to circumvent traffic jams. It would often lead me through intricate networks of side streets and residential neighborhoods.

Why do we need teachers? We have all the books

Why do we need teachers? We have all the books

A few days into my first JavaScript class, I decided I didn’t need school anymore. I read the book from beginning to end. I completed every single exercise. I ran the code on all projects. It worked. I went on to build my own website and applied the things I learned from the book. We still had 2 months of class to go through.

Most Popular

The most read articles

The Machine Fired Me

The Machine Fired Me

It was 7am when my phone rang. Instead of an alarm, it was my recruiter disturbing me from a pleasant dream. It was too early for a phone call or to be caught off guard, so I did not answer. I went to take a shower and get ready for the day. On my way to work, I listened to the voice mail she had left.

Download a file from the command line in Windows

Download a file from the command line in Windows

As a Linux user, I can't help but spend most of my time on the command line. Not that the GUI is not efficient, but there are things that are simply faster to do with the keyboard.

I charged $18,000 for a Static HTML Page

I charged $18,000 for a Static HTML Page

Not too long ago, I made a living working as a contractor where I would hop from project to project. Some were short term where I would work for a week and quickly deliver my service. Others lasted a couple months where I would make enough money to take some time off. I preferred the short ones because they allowed me to charge a much higher rate for a quick job. Not only I felt like my own boss, but I also felt like I didn't have to work too hard to make a decent living. My highest rates were still reasonable, and I always delivered high quality service. That was until I landed a gig with a large company.

Just Fired

a book by Ibrahim Diallo

After the explosive reception of my story, The Machine Fired Me, I set out to write a book to tell the before and after.

I started as a minimum wage laborer in Los Angeles and I set out to reach the top of the echelon in Silicon Valley. Every time I made a step forward, I was greeted with the harsh changing reality of the modern work space.

Getting fired is no longer reserved to those who mess up. Instead, it's a popular company strategy to decrease expenses and increase productivity.

As seen on

news outlet
news outlet

JavaScript Collection

Learn tips and tricks that will turn you into an Awesome® Javascript Dev.

JavaScript Tips and tricks

Tip of the day

Using a progress bar to load assets

It's inevitable. Images take a longer time to load then anything else on your page. If you are trying to load an image gallery for example, you have to give the…

Are you new to JavaScript?

JavaScript can be a little bit challenging at first. There are a few things that once mastered will make your journey smoother. These are the little things that I want to explain to you here. I make the frustrating things as friendly as possible so you don't have to stress over it.

Photography

Every little corner has a story. Sometimes a camera tells the story and a picture is worth a thousand words.

There are professional photographers and then there is me who happens to have a camera on my phone. Here's to what came out.