> Programming used to be (and still is, to a large extent) an activity that can be done with open and free tools. This was largely not the case before 2000, an

> Programming used to be (and still is, to a large extent) an activity that can be done with open and free tools. This was largely not the case before 2000, and may not be the case after, say 2030. It may well be that we are living in extraordinary times. Before 2000 one had to buy expensive compilers and hardware to do serious programming. The rise of the commercial internet has made desktop computers cheaper, and the free software movement (again mostly by means of commercial companies enjoying the benefits) has made a lot of free software available. However, we now have mostly smartphones, and serious security risks to deal with.