3 ms·
> "everyone can learn to program" > That doesn't mean everyone is qualified to pour concrete for a dam or a bridge foundation, or to re-do some historical work
by hirvi74 2y ago
> "everyone can learn to program"
> That doesn't mean everyone is qualified to pour concrete for a dam or a bridge foundation, or to re-do some historical work in original style.
Exactly!
I think statements like that are more concerned with philosophy than reality. Any discussion surrounding topics like this typically ends up being a discussion around definitions.
I believe the vast majority of human beings are capable of learning how to program in the most extreme elementary sense of the word. As in, outside of severe disabilities or complete and utter inaccessibility to circumstances in which one could learn program, then I think the remaining population of people could learn to program to some degree. Obviously, not everyone will learn to program due to a near infinite number of reasons.
I would argue it's like music. Anyone can make 'music.' Just make a sound -- any sound. The difference between noise and music is subjective. I would not argue that everyone could be the next Lovelace, Turning, Ritchie, Thompson, Torvalds, etc..
Now, for my jaded opinion, I think a lot of the "everyone can learn to program" talk does not come from a place of desire to share the gift of knowledge and joy of programming. I think it's more of a subtle way to encourage people to go into programming so that they may be hired by mega corps. In order to keep the Capitalist machine running. It's like the National Hockey League's slogan, "Hockey is for everyone." That is just a fancy way of saying, "everyone's money can be spent on the NHL."