Stack Overflow's Decline Predates ChatGPT
chris_j_paxton · x · 2026-07-14
The author shares a chart about Stack Overflow, highlighting a core insight:
- Stack Overflow's decline didn't start with the advent of ChatGPT.
- The chart shows it had already entered a downturn before ChatGPT.
- Despite this, people are still discussing code elsewhere, primarily migrating to Reddit and Discord.
- The "form" of the discussion has changed, but code discussions haven't disappeared.
The main takeaway isn't to simply blame ChatGPT for Stack Overflow's fall, but to highlight that the shift in the developer Q&A ecosystem happened long ago; AI merely accelerated the trend.
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