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Do you think there are non-technical and technical people, or do you think everyone has different levels of various skills? What is a "non-technical" person? I

Do you think there are non-technical and technical people, or do you think everyone has different levels of various skills? What is a "non-technical" person? If you mean someone who literally doesn't code I would submit that the majority of the articles are not about programming.

yawz 10y ago
I thought that would be anyone who doesn't work in a "technology" field and/or doesn't have a strong interest in technology.
Etheryte 10y ago
I would say that being a "technical" person, like any other human trait, is a gradient and foremost a matter of self-description in this context. While most articles on HN are not about programming, they're very prominently technology-oriented or topics that directly affect technology or the people working in it.
CiPHPerCoder 10y ago
That sounds just like the sort of comment a technical person would make. Nothing slips past the Turing test! More seriously: There are a lot of people with no primary interest in science or technology. They might be really into art, music, sports, politics, entertainment, and probably a million other topics I can't think of that may intersect with technology but isn't about the technology. That's also a possible answer to the question. There is likely an intersection with technology regardless of your interests, and some people might come here to learn more from the technical folks. Some might even contribute back from a nontechnical perspective.
- combatentropy 10y ago
  An artsy music teacher once told me that music to her feels like math. That was both an epiphany and a disappointment. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that all of the arts involve learning a good deal of technical craft. In fact, obsessing over tools (whether you have the best trumpet, paint brushes, videocamera, etc.) is a special kind of bikeshedding, rampant in art forums.
ebbv 10y ago
Would you say there are chefs and non-chefs? Or just people who have different levels of various skills? Musicians and non-musicians? Ballerinas and non-ballerinas? Of course there are. Yes where you draw the line is somewhat arbitrary and will vary from person to person but there is still a distinction to be made. You can be pedantic and say "Well everyone is a ballerina, they just might be a really unskilled one." But someone who is very unskilled really isn't a ballerina.
- startupdiscuss 10y ago
  No, that is not the same thing at all. The equivalent would be "are there programmers and non-programmers" That is a specific job. "Technical person" is not a specific job.
  - gluelogic 10y ago
    Haven't you ever seen people who are artistically-inclined and those who aren't?
    - startupdiscuss 10y ago
      I have.
      - Spare_account 10y ago
        Those people are probably a good group to start looking for your elusive non-technical person. I've met people who have zero inclination to engage in DIY, car maintenance or how to setup email on their iPad. There are very definitely non-technical people in the world, and thank goodness there are because they contribute to society in ways I could never dream of doing.
        jinfiesto 10y ago
        Artistic people? I majored in piano performance (full-tuition scholarship for it) and have been employed as a developer for almost ten years. I don't think my situation is all that unusual.

yawz 10y ago

I thought that would be anyone who doesn't work in a "technology" field and/or doesn't have a strong interest in technology.

Etheryte 10y ago

I would say that being a "technical" person, like any other human trait, is a gradient and foremost a matter of self-description in this context. While most articles on HN are not about programming, they're very prominently technology-oriented or topics that directly affect technology or the people working in it.

CiPHPerCoder 10y ago

That sounds just like the sort of comment a technical person would make. Nothing slips past the Turing test! More seriously: There are a lot of people with no primary interest in science or technology. They might be really into art, music, sports, politics, entertainment, and probably a million other topics I can't think of that may intersect with technology but isn't about the technology. That's also a possible answer to the question. There is likely an intersection with technology regardless of your interests, and some people might come here to learn more from the technical folks. Some might even contribute back from a nontechnical perspective.

combatentropy 10y ago
An artsy music teacher once told me that music to her feels like math. That was both an epiphany and a disappointment. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that all of the arts involve learning a good deal of technical craft. In fact, obsessing over tools (whether you have the best trumpet, paint brushes, videocamera, etc.) is a special kind of bikeshedding, rampant in art forums.

ebbv 10y ago

Would you say there are chefs and non-chefs? Or just people who have different levels of various skills? Musicians and non-musicians? Ballerinas and non-ballerinas? Of course there are. Yes where you draw the line is somewhat arbitrary and will vary from person to person but there is still a distinction to be made. You can be pedantic and say "Well everyone is a ballerina, they just might be a really unskilled one." But someone who is very unskilled really isn't a ballerina.

startupdiscuss 10y ago
No, that is not the same thing at all. The equivalent would be "are there programmers and non-programmers" That is a specific job. "Technical person" is not a specific job.
- gluelogic 10y ago
  Haven't you ever seen people who are artistically-inclined and those who aren't?
  - startupdiscuss 10y ago
    I have.
    - Spare_account 10y ago
      Those people are probably a good group to start looking for your elusive non-technical person. I've met people who have zero inclination to engage in DIY, car maintenance or how to setup email on their iPad. There are very definitely non-technical people in the world, and thank goodness there are because they contribute to society in ways I could never dream of doing.
      - jinfiesto 10y ago
        Artistic people? I majored in piano performance (full-tuition scholarship for it) and have been employed as a developer for almost ten years. I don't think my situation is all that unusual.