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# Kicking the Tires of GitHub Copilot « ipSpace.net blog

**[ipSpace.net Blog](https://daily.dev/sources/ipspace)** · 4 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

A hands-on first impression of GitHub Copilot used during real Python development work on a netlab release. Setup was straightforward via VS Code. Copilot shines at edge-case detection and boilerplate generation within a single file's context, but struggles with cross-module awareness, produces bland code (e.g., if/elif chains over lookup tables), and generates comments that merely rephrase code rather than explain intent. The author dismisses the '5x productivity' hype, arguing that fixing 80%-correct code often takes longer than writing it yourself, while still concluding Copilot is useful and worth keeping.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://blog.ipspace.net/2023/04/kicking-tires-github-copilot>

## Questions this post answers

### Does GitHub Copilot work well across multiple files or modules in a project?

GitHub Copilot's suggestions are reliable within the context of the current file, but degrade significantly when code references functions from other modules. Even if those functions have been used elsewhere in the project, Copilot resorts to guessing plausible function names rather than knowing the actual API — effectively a fishing expedition rather than an informed suggestion.

_Developers evaluating Copilot for multi-module projects find real-world comparisons like this on daily.dev._

### Is the claim that GitHub Copilot makes you 5x faster actually true?

The '5x faster' claim is overstated. It assumes your bottleneck is typing speed and that you spend all your time writing code without thinking. In practice, fixing code that is 80% correct often takes longer than writing it yourself. Copilot does provide a real productivity boost, especially for boilerplate, but the magnitude depends heavily on the task.

_Engineers weighing AI coding tools against the hype track honest assessments like this on daily.dev._

## Similar posts on daily.dev

- [GitHub Copilot tutorial: How to build, test, review, and ship code faster \(with real prompts\)](https://daily.dev/posts/github-copilot-tutorial-how-to-build-test-review-and-ship-code-faster-with-real-prompts--lyeseh4bm) · GitHub Blog · 2 upvotes · 0 comments
- [Getting started with GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio or VS Code](https://daily.dev/posts/getting-started-with-github-copilot-in-visual-studio-or-vs-code-3or4rwi6m) · InfoWorld · 0 upvotes · 0 comments
- [Quickstart with GitHub Copilot](https://daily.dev/posts/quickstart-with-github-copilot-2dras5fhj) · Serokell · 0 upvotes · 0 comments
- [Things to expect when starting to work with Copilot](https://daily.dev/posts/things-to-expect-when-starting-to-work-with-copilot-t0uqohbtu) · Scott Logic · 3 upvotes · 0 comments

---

Tags: [#python](https://daily.dev/tags/python), [#github](https://daily.dev/tags/github), [#vscode](https://daily.dev/tags/vscode)

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