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I'm sure that's how basic math proficiency was viewed in the past. These days almost everyone would benefit from some rudimentary knowledge of programming, but

by dwc 16y ago

I'm sure that's how basic math proficiency was viewed in the past. These days almost everyone would benefit from some rudimentary knowledge of programming, but it's not yet viewed as essential. Every day I see people doing repetitive manual tasks on the computer that could be automated with just a tiny amount of basic shell scripting. How long before this is taught to all kids in primary school, and facing many of the same problems as math today?

wgrover 16y ago
I agree - there's no question that lots of people would benefit from even a little coding knowledge! But computers are evolving in a direction that makes coding knowledge less useful - shell scripting is irrelevant in a world full of iPads. In that future, the only people who need any coding knowledge would be the folks who write the software for the iPads and such, but the idea of teaching everyone BASIC in middle school just to introduce them to programming (like I was) would be pretty quaint. I don't like that future, and I don't know how we'd get kids interested in programming in that future. But returning to the topic, I don't foresee a near future where something similar happens to basic math knowledge.
- dwc 16y ago
  > But computers are evolving in a direction that makes coding knowledge less useful This is the market finding its way somewhere. The whole industry has a problem, in that there are different classes of computer use but the industry keeps trying to produce a single flavor of product. There needs to be recognition that a highly productive work UX is not the same as leisure time UX. Why should a simple touch interface for consumers hamper my programming/science/processing needs? Why should a powerful, flexible environment be forces on people trying to shop, FB/twitter, etc.? And why, oh why, does anyone think that a single interface can answer everyone's needs in anything but a truly suboptimal way? Sigh.

by dwc 16y ago

wgrover 16y ago

I agree - there's no question that lots of people would benefit from even a little coding knowledge! But computers are evolving in a direction that makes coding knowledge less useful - shell scripting is irrelevant in a world full of iPads. In that future, the only people who need any coding knowledge would be the folks who write the software for the iPads and such, but the idea of teaching everyone BASIC in middle school just to introduce them to programming (like I was) would be pretty quaint. I don't like that future, and I don't know how we'd get kids interested in programming in that future. But returning to the topic, I don't foresee a near future where something similar happens to basic math knowledge.

dwc 16y ago
> But computers are evolving in a direction that makes coding knowledge less useful This is the market finding its way somewhere. The whole industry has a problem, in that there are different classes of computer use but the industry keeps trying to produce a single flavor of product. There needs to be recognition that a highly productive work UX is not the same as leisure time UX. Why should a simple touch interface for consumers hamper my programming/science/processing needs? Why should a powerful, flexible environment be forces on people trying to shop, FB/twitter, etc.? And why, oh why, does anyone think that a single interface can answer everyone's needs in anything but a truly suboptimal way? Sigh.