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This idea that automation will free up others to perform "higher pursuits" (especially programming) seems completely wrong. The reason is that we have a tremend
by Latteland 9y ago
This idea that automation will free up others to perform "higher pursuits" (especially programming) seems completely wrong. The reason is that we have a tremendous shortage of programmers, at least in the largest cities but in a lot of smaller towns too. These jobs pay much more than truck driving or burger flipping. If people could do these jobs, they'd be paid tremendously more with better job prospects right now.
There's nothing stopping people from training to be programmers today and working as a spoiled or fortunate software engineer, just as I am today - nothing other than the challenges of training, the time required, their own interests and capabilities, and possibly unawareness of the opportunity. Maybe a few people would try programming if they suddenly had money and no need for a daily job, but they could also do it today.
- SlowBro 9y agoYouTube and free SDKs, IDEs, and cheap servers are quite a democratizer. But is it true to say that automation would fail to free up higher pursuits because there is a shortage of programmers? What would you be doing right now if there were no electricity?
- Latteland 9y agoThe point I was trying to make is they could already be doing programming bc there are so many jobs and improving their lot in life but they aren't. Freeing up more people to do programming won't change the job equation. There are already openings to dev.
- SlowBro 9y agoBut the question is whether automation across all sectors would free up all kinds of pursuits, not just programming. Maybe that wasn't clear in my question, but that's what I was proposing.