1020: Do You Read The Code?

**CJ Reynolds** (0:00)
This is another argument I have about React, is we've kind of stagnated. There's not a lot of innovation. AI is just spitting out the same old React. And so in a sense, that kind of feels like we're stuck. Like even if something like this comes along and it does it better, it doesn't matter because it doesn't have the critical mass, and AI is just going to poop out like bad React code with a bunch of use states and use effects in it anyways, but something better might come along.

**Scott Tolinski** (0:32)
What's up, everybody? It's Syntax Live, another wonderful Monday. As we get into some stuff here, we're gonna be talking about reading code. Is that a thing you should be doing? What are people talking about? Because it seems like there has been a lot of conversation on if you read the code, and a ton of really interesting people have chimed in on this.
I have a feeling like I'll know your answer a bit, CJ.

**CJ Reynolds** (1:01)
Yes, I have thoughts.

**Scott Tolinski** (1:03)
Yes. What's up, everyone? It's kind of shocking that we are just slightly late to this, given that this is the first episode without Wes, who is kind of...

**CJ Reynolds** (1:14)
Is Wes ever late?

**Scott Tolinski** (1:15)
I guess Wes isn't late. Maybe it's me.

**CJ Reynolds** (1:18)
He's an on time guy, yeah.

**Scott Tolinski** (1:20)
Yeah, maybe it's my fault. Sorry, folks.
I'll take responsibility for that. But what's up? Welcome to Syntax Live. Every single week, we get into the topics that are going on the web. We're getting into new libraries, we're getting into new projects, and we're getting into what people are talking about. My name is Scott Tolinski, and with me today is CJ Reynolds. What's up, CJ?

**CJ Reynolds** (1:41)
Hello. Not much.
I'm not a soccer watcher, football watcher, but I did watch the Mexico versus England game. Are you watching the World Cup at all? Are you watching?

**Scott Tolinski** (1:53)
You know what? I'm not a big soccer guy either. But I did watch that game, and that was an exciting game. That was crazy.

**CJ Reynolds** (2:01)
It was spectacle. Like red cards, penalty kicks. Like, yeah, it was I was sad Mexico didn't win, but it was an incredible game. Yeah.

**Scott Tolinski** (2:09)
Yeah. I'm the mind that soccer would be better if one, the players obviously didn't flop around on the ground. That's that's table stakes for me. Like as a hockey watcher.
Yeah. Yeah. As a hockey watcher, it's like, come on, guys. You know, the hockey players will take a puck to the face, lose a bunch of teeth and keep playing like you can get up. It actually really bugs me on defense when a defenseman like goes down and lays down like, brother, you need to be standing up and helping your team. What are you doing? Yeah.

**CJ Reynolds** (2:40)
But I also like the opposite, though. So near the end of the game, someone got really hurt, like rolled his ankle. They just dragged him off the field and kept playing because there was like two minutes left. So I thought that was hilarious that they don't pause the game. They just like, we got it. We got to get this corner kick.

**Scott Tolinski** (2:53)
Yeah.

**CJ Reynolds** (2:54)
Yeah. But it would be fun if there was like actual. We need a penalty box in soccer. We need like actual fights. Put them in the box for 10 minutes. Let them cool off.

**Scott Tolinski** (3:02)
Get them back out there.
Yeah, I know I'll make I'll make football people mad about my takes on soccer. But another one for me is no offsides. Get rid of offsides. Let them cherry pick. Let them just kick the ball down, run and score a goal. Let's get some goals going. That's my caveman approach to soccer right there. That's how I fix it.

**CJ Reynolds** (3:21)
Nice. I'm excited to get into it.
I think so I personally I've been staying off of X, but Scott did bring this to my attention and I've been reading some of the replies. So Scott, do you want to get into this first story? Do you still read the code?

**Scott Tolinski** (3:35)
Yes.
CJ, I got to say, how could you stay off of X, the everything app, the app that has everything, the everything app? Yes.

**CJ Reynolds** (3:43)
I check it once a week before we go live. It's good for mental health, but yeah.

**Scott Tolinski** (3:47)
Yeah, I believe that. Yeah. Man, I got to say, one thing that X has been doing a terrible job lately is serving me a bunch of crazy reaction videos. Like, I don't care. Like, this is not TikTok. I don't want to see somebody else watching a video. Either way, the tweet is, how much better do the models have to get before you stop reading the code? And that led to responses from all kinds of people.