> Interest is not the same as ability. I'll make a subtle point in a discussion that clearly can't handle the subtleties it already has. Interest is not the s

> Interest is not the same as ability. I'll make a subtle point in a discussion that clearly can't handle the subtleties it already has. Interest is not the same thing as ability, but interest is a great indicator of ability in technology, especially fast moving technology. In fact, I know plenty of people who are underemployed or underpaid that I say, "You, know, with your skills, you'd be great at writing software. Maybe you should develop an interest in coding." Similarly, people ask me, "How do I get a job in software?" and I suggest something very basic (tryruby.org, say) as a way for them to quickly figure out if they are interested. If they don't like problem solving and coding, they might be able to force themselves into qualifying for a job, but I'm not sure that's a good career strategy. Point being, to some degree, interest is one key component of ability in software and some other kinds of technology work.