4 ms·

You can't understand and be productive in today's world without understanding computation.

mhurron 14y ago
Many, many people are. It might not seem like it when you work entirely with computers but it just isn't that big a part of what most people do day to day. A computer is a tool, no different than a hammer in most peoples jobs. They read their email, browse some websites and do what ever specific thing in whatever specific application their jobs tell them to. They don't need to know anything about what the computer is doing and they don't care to know. Cars make more of an impact of peoples lives than their computers do but we don't have someone constantly saying how we need to make everyone a mechanic. Eating is more important to life but we don't have a movement to make everyone a chef. Knowledge of how a computer works or how you make it do something someone else hasn't written an app for is just not at the same level that reading, writing and arithmetic are. Step back from what you do all day and actually watch what people do. Knowledge of why stuff happens on the devices they use just isn't that important. They know what button to hit and that's all they need to know to be productive in what they are doing.
- woodchuck64 14y ago
  Computation should be at the same level of importance as reading, writing and arithmetic, given that no other paradigm is contributing more to job obsolescence right now. But, sure, you can be productive without understanding computation. I should have said "maximally productive". Even a chef benefits from understanding how recipes mimic algorithms.
- lotu 14y ago
  > Cars make more of an impact of peoples lives than their computers do but we don't have someone constantly saying how we need to make everyone a mechanic Actually I have seen many care enthusiasts who criticize people that don't change their own oil and spark plugs.

Many, many people are. It might not seem like it when you work entirely with computers but it just isn't that big a part of what most people do day to day. A computer is a tool, no different than a hammer in most peoples jobs. They read their email, browse some websites and do what ever specific thing in whatever specific application their jobs tell them to. They don't need to know anything about what the computer is doing and they don't care to know. Cars make more of an impact of peoples lives than their computers do but we don't have someone constantly saying how we need to make everyone a mechanic. Eating is more important to life but we don't have a movement to make everyone a chef. Knowledge of how a computer works or how you make it do something someone else hasn't written an app for is just not at the same level that reading, writing and arithmetic are. Step back from what you do all day and actually watch what people do. Knowledge of why stuff happens on the devices they use just isn't that important. They know what button to hit and that's all they need to know to be productive in what they are doing.

woodchuck64 14y ago
Computation should be at the same level of importance as reading, writing and arithmetic, given that no other paradigm is contributing more to job obsolescence right now. But, sure, you can be productive without understanding computation. I should have said "maximally productive". Even a chef benefits from understanding how recipes mimic algorithms.
lotu 14y ago
> Cars make more of an impact of peoples lives than their computers do but we don't have someone constantly saying how we need to make everyone a mechanic Actually I have seen many care enthusiasts who criticize people that don't change their own oil and spark plugs.