Absolutely fantastic reply. Although one can get a programming "job" with little experience, or better yet just start programming with little more than a lapto

Absolutely fantastic reply. Although one can get a programming "job" with little experience, or better yet just start programming with little more than a laptop and some free software - being a top-notch developer takes many Years of training. As the computing industry and inherent complexity continue to grow, and as society relies more heavily upon it, we'll likely find similar barriers to entry. Programming is an infant relative to the practices of medicine, law, and other well established industries. My ideal world is one in which everyone learns how to program along side math, science, language, and so on - just as we learn about health and civics, not to become doctors or lawyers but to become healthy members of society. If computers are to become an important part of human society, then programming them should be a part of the basic curriculum. The social respect of professional developers will surely grow as software development becomes better understood. Not that I receive any lack of respect from my non-techie peers. But I certainly wouldn't mind being able to discuss my daily brain-benders with a stranger at the local watering hole-in-the-wall.