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>>>> Nowadays, it is easier than ever to learn programming. I think it's easier in some ways, harder in others. I learned to program in 1981, while in high sch

>>>> Nowadays, it is easier than ever to learn programming. I think it's easier in some ways, harder in others. I learned to program in 1981, while in high school. "Ease" involves not only access, but also motivation. At the time, programming seemed a lot more casual and exploratory. Because displays were so primitive, you could easily write a simple BASIC program that looked just like commercial software. That was really gratifying, and gave you a feeling of power. There were useful programs with no graphics. And programming was still kind of a counterculture. There were maybe 3 or 4 kids at my high school who were interested in it, and we were all nerds. Today, everybody has been exposed to really slick graphical software or games before they're ever introduced to programming. Making something that looks like software is a daunting task. I don't even do it any more. There is also vastly more adult interference and attention -- programming is a desirable, lucrative career after all -- meaning pressure to do it "the right way" for the sake of your "career."

klodolph 4y ago
People learn to make music, even though it takes years to make music at a level comparable to the music you hear.
- analog31 4y ago
  Good point, and I'm one of those people. It doesn't have to be easy, to be motivating. But nobody told me that music would be a good career. ;-)
- thristian 4y ago
  It takes decades to learn how to make a song that millions of people will listen to on the radio. It takes decades to write an app that millions of people use every day to do their jobs. You can teach somebody to play the first few bars of Stairway to Heaven (or at least something that sounds recognisably like it) in an afternoon. On an Apple II, you can write a BASIC program that looks like Ultima IV or VisiCalc in maybe a week. But it would take years of study, let alone effort, to make something that looked recognisably like Elden Ring or Excel.
  - analog31 4y ago
    It's interesting how far we've come. Even well into the 20th century, it was still possible for a teenager to compose a "hit." For example, "Lush Life" by Billy Strayhorn. If that's changed, which wouldn't shock me, it's probably due to the consolidation of the music industry, making it more conservative.

klodolph 4y ago

People learn to make music, even though it takes years to make music at a level comparable to the music you hear.

analog31 4y ago
Good point, and I'm one of those people. It doesn't have to be easy, to be motivating. But nobody told me that music would be a good career. ;-)
thristian 4y ago
It takes decades to learn how to make a song that millions of people will listen to on the radio. It takes decades to write an app that millions of people use every day to do their jobs. You can teach somebody to play the first few bars of Stairway to Heaven (or at least something that sounds recognisably like it) in an afternoon. On an Apple II, you can write a BASIC program that looks like Ultima IV or VisiCalc in maybe a week. But it would take years of study, let alone effort, to make something that looked recognisably like Elden Ring or Excel.
- analog31 4y ago
  It's interesting how far we've come. Even well into the 20th century, it was still possible for a teenager to compose a "hit." For example, "Lush Life" by Billy Strayhorn. If that's changed, which wouldn't shock me, it's probably due to the consolidation of the music industry, making it more conservative.