哩賀(lí hó), I am Ryan Yen 
I do research, which means I spend my days banging my head against the wall trying to figure things out.
I’m interested in what we’ve lost, or quietly given up, in chasing a narrow definition of “programming” as the act of typing formal syntax.
Semi-formal Programming
“One can’t proceed from the informal to the formal by formal means.” — Alan J. Perlis (1982)
We’re so used to thinking programming means writing formally defined syntax that we end up committing prematurely to a specific form of expression, confined by the language chosen, the libraries used, the environment we’re in. Our software becomes rigid and brittle because the formalism forced structure onto thinking that wasn’t ready for it yet.
To me, what LLMs actually enable isn’t writing formal code faster. It’s programming with more fidelity to thought itself, preserving the expressiveness and intent that usually gets lost in translation. The informal sketch in your head doesn’t have to die the moment it touches the editor.
Reflections and Repentance
I spend many time reflecting on my thoughts… and I like writing them down. If you’re curious about the things I’m noodling on, you’ll find more on my Blog.
Readings
A lot of my thinking is shaped by what I read, reading feels like time-traveling conversations with other thinkers… nerdy, I know, but it’s true. I just wish I had more time to do it.
Some of the pieces that have stuck with me, including Reification, Polymorphism and Reuse, Demonstrational Interfaces, Cognitive Engineering, Designing Interaction, not Interfaces, Instrumental Interaction, Direct Manipulation Interfaces, Thinking with External Representations, Ultra-Lightweight Constraints, What Is Interaction?, and Usability Analysis of Visual Programming Environments.