Why should we call 'Vibe Coding' 'Tonal Programming'?

There are certain concepts in the technology world. They are born as jokes, then turn into culture. “Vibe coding” is exactly such an expression. At first glance, it sounds a bit too much like “internet slang.” It even sounds more like a bohemian lifestyle suggestion than a technical one. However, the interesting part is this: When you get to the root of the word, it actually describes what it is trying to convey quite accurately.

Because the word “vibe” is not as airy as we think.

The root of the word comes directly from “vibration.” It started to be used especially in music culture in the 1960s. When describing the atmosphere of a place, the energy a person radiates, or the spirit of an environment, people said “good vibrations.” Over time, this expression was shortened to just “vibes.” Today, when an American says “good vibes,” they are technically saying “good vibrations.”

However, in Turkish, the word “titreşim” (vibration) sounds a bit mechanical. After all, a washing machine also vibrates. Yet, what is being described here is more of a felt frequency. A more intuitive harmony.

And this is exactly where a beautiful word in Turkish comes into play: tını (timbre/tone).

In music, timbre is the character of a sound. The same note sounds different on different instruments because every instrument has its own timbre. We even use this word for the human voice. It is not just the pitch of the sound; the soul is also involved. That is why, instead of translating “good vibes” literally, saying “I got good tones” (iyi tınılar aldım) actually produces an equivalent closer to the concept.

The approach we call “vibe coding” today works exactly like this.

Instead of writing every line of code analytically one by one, you progress by feeling the system, talking to artificial intelligence, and providing direction. The developer is no longer just someone who gives commands. They act more like an orchestra conductor. They do not produce the mathematics of the code alone; they manage the timbre of the resulting structure.

The spread of this concept is no coincidence. The expression became visible especially with the rise of AI-supported software development culture. It spread rapidly in the technology world after the posts made by Andrej Karpathy. What Karpathy described was slightly different from the classical engineering discipline. He was describing how people have started to produce software by talking to the system, feeling it, and guiding it, sometimes without writing full technical specifications.

In other words:

In the past, the developer was building the code line by line.

Today, more and more people are describing the behavior of the code.

The difference is huge.

That is why translating the concept of “vibe coding” merely as “cool software development” misses the point. The “vibe” here is not about the atmosphere or enjoyment. It means more like intuitive guidance, keeping the rhythm, and catching the right frequency.

For this reason, I think the expression “tınısal yazılım” (tonal programming) is much more accurate in Turkish.

Because here, code is no longer just a mathematical structure. It is also a felt flow. And the developer is no longer just an engineer; they become part editor, part director, and part composer.

The interesting thing is that the history of technology tells us this is not new.

At one time, people thought using a computer was entirely technical. Then came the graphical interface. Then came touchscreens. Today, natural language is coming. Humanity is acting less and less mechanically while communicating with machines.

Perhaps the software world is truly approaching “human language” for the first time.

That is why it seems that in the future, instead of telling our children to “learn to code,” we will say “learn how to talk to the system.”

This is exactly why, in my opinion, “vibe coding” is not just a new software method. It is a new layer in the cultural evolution of software.

I believe the expression that suits this best in Turkish is:

Tonal programming.

Book of the Week: Kaizen

This week's book is actually not just a personal development book; it also opens an interesting window for those who want to understand Japan's way of thinking. Sarah Harvey's book, Kaizen: Change Your Life One Small Step at a Time, explains one of the most popular yet most misunderstood concepts of recent years in simple language.

In the technology world, in entrepreneurship, and even in the age of artificial intelligence, we are constantly talking about big leaps. Yet, Kaizen says the exact opposite. The source of permanent change is not revolutions, but small improvements made every day. This approach, which means “good change” in Japanese, lies at the foundation of many success stories, from Toyota's production systems to Japan's post-war reconstruction.

The remarkable aspect of the book is that it takes this thought out of factories and carries it into daily life. It explains how 1% improvements in many areas, from health to relationships, from money management to work habits, can produce great results over time. Especially for those who constantly set new goals and give up after a few weeks, Kaizen's calm and patient approach can feel quite refreshing.