4 ms·

Deja vu. It reminds me of Visual Basic and Access, but with a bigger market. Back then, there was this same idea that "anyone can be a programmer", but the pool

Deja vu. It reminds me of Visual Basic and Access, but with a bigger market. Back then, there was this same idea that "anyone can be a programmer", but the pool of interested amateurs was smaller and it was a bit harder to reach the market. Nevertheless, I think it's essentially the same phenomenon all over again. Sooner or later, people will run out of fresh, attractive ideas that can be done easily, without becoming a decent programmer. On the whole, I think we'll see some good stuff and lots of mediocre stuff; we might see more people becoming interested in programming. But ultimately, I believe we're looking at something ephemeral.

jimbokun 17y ago
"Sooner or later, people will run out of fresh, attractive ideas that can be done easily, without becoming a decent programmer." And some people, who never would have considered programming had it not been for iPhone, will turn out to be damn good programmers that continue learning and making good, useful software long after the iPhone glow has faded.
- neilo 17y ago
  Great comment; your positive spin made me smile :)
gcheong 17y ago
"But ultimately, I believe we're looking at something ephemeral." Or maybe the iphone becomes the PC of the mobile market.
- ericb 17y ago
  Or maybe it just becomes the PC.
briansmith 17y ago
It is harder to be a programmer now than in the old days because now you have to be an artist. 20 years ago every app looks horrible and so your horrible-looking app blended right in. Today, the designer that can barely code has a serious advantage over the programmer that can't design. It's a lot easier to learn how to program than it is to learn how to design beautiful things. With open source we can all copy each other's code but everybody will hate you if you copy another person's design. Nowhere is this more evident than Android vs the iPhone. Android's design philosophy is all about utilitarianism. Accordingly, the G1 and most Android apps are incredibly ugly. If you install an ugly app on your G1 then nothing really changes. The iPhone is about design first, utility second. If you install an ugly app on your iPhone you've made it worse than it was without the app. Now, look at who is making money: iPhone developers creating eye candy, not Android developers building unique useful apps.
- TJensen 17y ago
  I disagree that the iPhone is about design first, utility second. I think it is more the case that the iPhone has been well designed for utility. I think part of its success is that its design is amazingly utilitarian. You can really use it. I agree that, right now, silly eye-candy is winning in the app store. I think that is a function of the immaturity of the entire market. However, one thing that will come as a result when it finally changes, is that the useful apps will, much like the iPhone itself, have useful design that enhances the utility.
- scott_s 17y ago
  Your argument only holds if you equate "programmer" with "single developer who wants to ship an entire application."
- elai 17y ago
  Apple has made it signficantly easy for a programmer to throw together something nice w/ the default GUI widget set. It might limit him from the game segment, but there is still lots to do.
DLWormwood 17y ago
It kind of reminds me of how HyperCard was first touted with the Mac. If only that system was network aware, things may have turned out different for the platform... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperCard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperCard http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2002/08/54370 http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2002/0...

jimbokun 17y ago

"Sooner or later, people will run out of fresh, attractive ideas that can be done easily, without becoming a decent programmer." And some people, who never would have considered programming had it not been for iPhone, will turn out to be damn good programmers that continue learning and making good, useful software long after the iPhone glow has faded.

neilo 17y ago
Great comment; your positive spin made me smile :)

gcheong 17y ago

"But ultimately, I believe we're looking at something ephemeral." Or maybe the iphone becomes the PC of the mobile market.

ericb 17y ago
Or maybe it just becomes the PC.

briansmith 17y ago

It is harder to be a programmer now than in the old days because now you have to be an artist. 20 years ago every app looks horrible and so your horrible-looking app blended right in. Today, the designer that can barely code has a serious advantage over the programmer that can't design. It's a lot easier to learn how to program than it is to learn how to design beautiful things. With open source we can all copy each other's code but everybody will hate you if you copy another person's design. Nowhere is this more evident than Android vs the iPhone. Android's design philosophy is all about utilitarianism. Accordingly, the G1 and most Android apps are incredibly ugly. If you install an ugly app on your G1 then nothing really changes. The iPhone is about design first, utility second. If you install an ugly app on your iPhone you've made it worse than it was without the app. Now, look at who is making money: iPhone developers creating eye candy, not Android developers building unique useful apps.

TJensen 17y ago
I disagree that the iPhone is about design first, utility second. I think it is more the case that the iPhone has been well designed for utility. I think part of its success is that its design is amazingly utilitarian. You can really use it. I agree that, right now, silly eye-candy is winning in the app store. I think that is a function of the immaturity of the entire market. However, one thing that will come as a result when it finally changes, is that the useful apps will, much like the iPhone itself, have useful design that enhances the utility.
scott_s 17y ago
Your argument only holds if you equate "programmer" with "single developer who wants to ship an entire application."
elai 17y ago
Apple has made it signficantly easy for a programmer to throw together something nice w/ the default GUI widget set. It might limit him from the game segment, but there is still lots to do.

DLWormwood 17y ago

It kind of reminds me of how HyperCard was first touted with the Mac. If only that system was network aware, things may have turned out different for the platform... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperCard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperCard http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2002/08/54370 http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2002/0...