GoKawiilShow HN post: developer discloses felony conviction after 20 years of silence
A Show HN author published a personal essay revealing they are a convicted felon, something they had kept hidden for two decades. In the same post they explain their writing process, saying they compose text by hand in Neovim without AI assistance, while using AI tools extensively for coding work that they still personally review.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The post blends a personal disclosure with commentary on AI's role in creative versus technical work, reflecting a broader debate among developers about where AI assistance helps productivity and where it may erode independent thinking. The author's distinction between writing and coding suggests one view within the tech community on how to balance AI use with maintaining core cognitive skills.
- The author publicly revealed a felony conviction hidden for 20 years in a Show HN post.
- They write prose entirely by hand in Neovim, avoiding AI for that task.
- They use AI extensively for coding after 25 years of manual programming, but review all AI-generated code themselves.
Source: buford.bg, 2026-10-21
Published there as: “Show HN: I told people I'm a convicted felon after 20 years of hiding it”
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