On: IBM Bob

[pytlicek]

No, you are wrong. IBMer here. I was at first agains it, my background is for 2 decades startup(s) before I joined IBM, and I started slowly using IBM Bob and I must say it is really good and helping. With many integrations that works :)

[EgregiousCube → pytlicek]

Is it true that employees have to earn Bobcoins before they can use Bob?

[quietsegfault → EgregiousCube]

You get more bobcoins by using your old allowance and running out, then submitting GitHub issues that get ignored.

[alienbaby → EgregiousCube]

No.

[pytlicek → EgregiousCube]

No

[jatora → pytlicek]

When people say they have been in startups for long periods, does this mean they worked at a chain of failed companies?

[pytlicek → jatora]

No no no :) They want(ed) just change :)

[Saline9515 → pytlicek]

What is good about it then? What model do you use? Which integration are we talking about? Is it open source? How much the "transparent pricing" "bobcoin" is worth?

[nosefurhairdo → Saline9515]

It's not good, they hide the model (their whole thing is hidden model routing to keep costs low, but predictably yields bad results), there are no novel integrations not available in any other harness, it's closed source, and bobcoin is worthless because it's only usable with Bob.

[pytlicek → nosefurhairdo]

And what? IDK about BOB that is available for IBM customers, but closed source? As someone wrote in different thread is based on VScode, calling BOB's API. Also do you know how chatgpt works? same for claude? Agents? Governance? You know nothing and now just hating here :)

[aslkajdfklnlkwn → pytlicek]

the bob team aggressively blocks you from calling the bob api and is constantly finding new ways to thwart calling the api directly

[rusticpenn → Saline9515]

It uses hidden models, mostly Claude and open ai models. They try to check the prompt and route to the model that is capable of it, thus saving money.

[pytlicek → rusticpenn]

I think this is it ^^^ Routing and optimizations :)

[quietsegfault → pytlicek]

Are you allowed to use Cursor, Codex, Claude, or OpenCode or is Bob all they allow?

[nosefurhairdo → quietsegfault]

Official policy is to only use Bob. All of the best people I work with are using other tools because Bob is trash.

[getatme32 → quietsegfault]

I have been told only Bob is allowed but not 100% on that.

[pytlicek → getatme32]

Also copilot and MS365 copilot, many local models etc... Many haters (companies, etc...) can only dream about availability of models we usually have here.

[insane_dreamer → pytlicek]

is bob helping with ur writing too? ;p

[aslkajdfklnlkwn → pytlicek]

lol, I've used it and Bob is a dumpster fire.

[fodkodrasz → aslkajdfklnlkwn]

Do you have to have experience with AWS Kiro? I'd be interested in a comparision between them. :)

[pytlicek → aslkajdfklnlkwn]

rlly? cs it is IMHO based on anthropic / openai models. Perhaps they identified BFU and gave you some

[aslkajdfklnlkwn → pytlicek]

so it tops out at sonnet 4.5 as the largest model it will use. the harness gives you no choice in the model so you have to hope it doesn't decide your task isn't complex enough and auto-route you to a smaller/weaker model which you then go round and round in circles with where a larger model would've 1 shotted it

[sroerick → pytlicek]

Lol