The "learn to code" meme has been going around a lot lately, but I think there is a much more nuance to the intent behind learning to code than to literally tra

The "learn to code" meme has been going around a lot lately, but I think there is a much more nuance to the intent behind learning to code than to literally train new programmers. I think many technical people don't realize that others simply don't see computers the way that they do. To the general public, computers and software exist as black boxes whose functions are not understood. This has an important negative side-effect of making regular people less critical about what goes on in their digital life. What his lack of critical ability translates to in real life is a weakened ability to recognize problems with things like SOPA/PIPA, or misguided ideas about online privacy. More generally, it makes people vulnerable to the designs of others who are working in their own self-interest and can do so because they have some amount of mastery of the digital domain. These initiatives to teach "the people" programming are all about getting them comfortable with digital technology, demystifying it, indirectly empowering them with the idea that computers and software are things that can be made to work in their own interests.