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Do we really need >artists who can do a little bit of JavaScript when they need to? In some ways that statement is tautological, so I guess, fine (we need thi

Do we really need >artists who can do a little bit of JavaScript when they need to? In some ways that statement is tautological, so I guess, fine (we need things that we need, got it). But I don't think this really an interesting statement; maybe it's a little provocative but not realistic. How about we have renaissance style artists that also do mechanical engineering? That's great but now you're argument is not about how programming is the special snowflake but that we need to return to a time of intellectualism ... ... However, that argument doesn't really work either because it's not as if renaissance intellectuals were the norm for their societies. As far as the other examples you cited, there are already people pursuing STEM so I don't really know how fitting the idea of programming solves our societal problems. Without being too hostile about it; does it really matter if the taxi driver can program? In a real sense, do you think this is really greatly benefiting society? I see it as benefiting society the same, or probably less so, than if the taxi driver understood Sartre, Descartes, or knew the history of Islam. But then we're just saying "the more educated we all are the better everyone is" to which I say "great, non-controversial statement but so what?" Just being honest.

tbeseda 14y ago
I'm afraid your comment needs some editing before I can fully understand your intention. But I can posit this: What if that cab driver, as a result of knowing a small amount of coding, could optimize his time, his routes, his fuel efficiency, his tire wear, or Hell even eliminate the need for a cab service altogether? Luckily, you're right, someone else will figure it out for him.
- dinkumthinkum 14y ago
  Well, I edited it but I think it's pretty clear anyway. You're posit does really answer the issue. So you're solution is there is that the cab driver should be an Einstein or something, great but that's just silly. You're basically saying as I said before, that the best case scenario is if everyone was some great intellectual. No one disputes that, it's not controversial. But it's not interesting as something that could be made to happen in reality. As well, why is programming so special in this sense? For this cab driver, knowing a little bit of Javascript to be able make SPA blog engine is not enough to do route optimization, fuel efficiency and all this other stuff. You're talking about a renaissance cabbie that knows operations research, physics, and queuing theory and so on. It's not really serious how programming is the special snowflake in this sense. If the cab driver had taken the time to learn physics, and operations research in high school or whatever is being posited for programming, then he would be able to make this super efficient cab system or probably not have to be a cab driver. Adding "programming" into the mix of education does not fundamentally change anything about society.

tbeseda 14y ago

I'm afraid your comment needs some editing before I can fully understand your intention. But I can posit this: What if that cab driver, as a result of knowing a small amount of coding, could optimize his time, his routes, his fuel efficiency, his tire wear, or Hell even eliminate the need for a cab service altogether? Luckily, you're right, someone else will figure it out for him.

dinkumthinkum 14y ago
Well, I edited it but I think it's pretty clear anyway. You're posit does really answer the issue. So you're solution is there is that the cab driver should be an Einstein or something, great but that's just silly. You're basically saying as I said before, that the best case scenario is if everyone was some great intellectual. No one disputes that, it's not controversial. But it's not interesting as something that could be made to happen in reality. As well, why is programming so special in this sense? For this cab driver, knowing a little bit of Javascript to be able make SPA blog engine is not enough to do route optimization, fuel efficiency and all this other stuff. You're talking about a renaissance cabbie that knows operations research, physics, and queuing theory and so on. It's not really serious how programming is the special snowflake in this sense. If the cab driver had taken the time to learn physics, and operations research in high school or whatever is being posited for programming, then he would be able to make this super efficient cab system or probably not have to be a cab driver. Adding "programming" into the mix of education does not fundamentally change anything about society.