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> Writing software is a trade-skill subject to market forces, literacy is a critical thinking skill more akin to logic itself. False dichotomy, these things yo

• root_axis 8y ago
  Writing software requires applied logical thinking, but that doesn't make it a fundamental skill. Your reasoning is akin to suggesting that solving a Rubik's cube is a fundamental skill because it requires logical thinking to solve. If the total number of senior engineers on the market increased 10,000% overnight, the value of programming as a skill would instantly plummet, given the same scenario for rates of literacy, the value of literacy would remain the same or perhaps even increase. This is because literacy is a force multiplier in all aspects of career advancement while software programming simply isn't. If you glance anywhere outside the IT echo-chamber to examine the value of literacy vs programming the point I'm making becomes very obvious. Nearly every high prestige profession (lawyer, doctor, scientist, architect, author etc) is amplified by literary skills whereas this is obviously untrue for programming.