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I'm not sure that knowing how to code is even that useful for most people. Let me explain - coding is neccesary when you are doing something technically innova

by shubb 13y ago

I'm not sure that knowing how to code is even that useful for most people. Let me explain - coding is neccesary when you are doing something technically innovative. As things become less inovative, layers of abstraction are built to make them easier. Until eventually, there is a nice GUI that lets you achieve that thing without too much trouble. So once, displaying a square to the screen involved assembley and custom hardware. Then the hardware got commodotized, and we got graphics libaries. Now, you just fire up MS paint and draw a square. 10 years ago, my mum wanted a website, so I coded one in HTML. 5 years ago, she wanted a website, so I coded a wordpress theme and she maintained it for years without trouble. This year I asked her what she does. She uses a facebook page. You don't need to code to make websites. The website isn't important to her - the day to day activity of the charity are important to her, and the website helps them do that stuff. It is worth considering that while technology is a big part of what we do, most people are trying to do really hard things, sell stuff, help people, whatever, and only need a small amount of easy to use technology where it makes them more effective. We learn math at school. I used trigonometry last week to create some cool android interaction mode, but I bet most of my classmates forgot it at 18, and only wish they remember it when it comes up on a TV quiz show. It will be the same with code.

jbl 13y ago
I partially agree, but would add that learning to code is valuable in the same way that trigonometry was valuable. It's another way of looking and thinking about the world. The more perspectives we have on problems, the more ways we as individuals have to attack problems. I've at least found this to be true in my own experience, but I have also sought out opportunities to combine disparate skill sets and knowledgebases. Being able to toggle between thinking like a sociologist and thinking like a programmer has made my work richer by providing me with solutions I might not otherwise have thought of.
d4nt 13y ago
I'm generally in favour of the 'learn to code' meme, but I think we've gotten too hung up on text based procedural coding languages and are not seeing the big picture here. I would prefer to define programming as "composing a set instructions which can repeated automatically". By that definition there are many people who create valuable 'programs' such as spreadsheets, MS Word themes, CRM workflows, Photoshop scripts, AutoCAD scripts, manufacturing plans, automated UI tests or clever ways of using Mechanical Turk and oDesk. These people don't call themselves programmers but they've grasped the fundamental thing that makes programming a more powerful way of working. It's a way of thinking, not a particular syntax, and I think the economy will increasingly depend on those people who can amplify their effectiveness by thinking in that way. I hope to teach my kids some basic python and HTML but mostly I hope to teach them that just pushing buttons and doing what you're told for 40 hours a week will not be very fulfilling career. Even if you're technically a doctor or a lawyer, you could get stuck being basically a robot. Whereas being someone who designs repeatable systems is much more rewarding.
riggins 13y ago
I'm not sure that knowing how to code is even that useful for most people. In the actual world we live in I agree with you. However, in a thoughtful world, we would get everyone started coding at 5 and have many many classes devoted to it from K-12 ... because computers really are incredible force multipliers. If you know how to code, you can be much better at whatever you do. But back to the real world, it's going to be much more like your trigonometry ... where kids fight it and forget it when they graduate HS. I feel like saying everyone should learn to code is in the same spirit as saying everyone should get a stronger math education and everyone should learn statistics. Sure, everyone should get a better math education and learn statistics ... but that's easier said than done.
Nursie 13y ago
>> We learn math at school. I used trigonometry last week to create some cool android interaction mode, but I bet most of my classmates forgot it at 18, and only wish they remember it when it comes up on a TV quiz show. It will be the same with code. Good. Maybe 90% of people never use the knowledge again. Maybe 99%. That still leaves 1% who learned it, absorbed it fully and use it to improve the world. Computers run so very much of the world around us now, not giving people the chance to be educated to the level where they can meaningfully contribute is just plain wrong. Without this happening in school, most people will never have a chance.
randomdata 13y ago
I am left wondering: When did coding become not part of the public education system? My father recounts learning how to program on punch cards when he was in school. In my day we learned BASIC in elementary school and Pascal in high school. I've talked with people who are several years younger than me and apparently they learned on different languages again, but were introduced to coding just the same. It certainly wasn't an intensive computer science education, but I'm not sure anyone is advocating for that anyway.
- mmagin 13y ago
  Today they seem to assume knowing how to type and use a word processor is equivalent.
holri 13y ago
Now, your mom and here charity are completely dependent on Facebook. This is an excellent example why programming or being able to do something yourself is important to defend independence and freedom of our society.

by shubb 13y ago

jbl 13y ago

I partially agree, but would add that learning to code is valuable in the same way that trigonometry was valuable. It's another way of looking and thinking about the world. The more perspectives we have on problems, the more ways we as individuals have to attack problems. I've at least found this to be true in my own experience, but I have also sought out opportunities to combine disparate skill sets and knowledgebases. Being able to toggle between thinking like a sociologist and thinking like a programmer has made my work richer by providing me with solutions I might not otherwise have thought of.

d4nt 13y ago

I'm generally in favour of the 'learn to code' meme, but I think we've gotten too hung up on text based procedural coding languages and are not seeing the big picture here. I would prefer to define programming as "composing a set instructions which can repeated automatically". By that definition there are many people who create valuable 'programs' such as spreadsheets, MS Word themes, CRM workflows, Photoshop scripts, AutoCAD scripts, manufacturing plans, automated UI tests or clever ways of using Mechanical Turk and oDesk. These people don't call themselves programmers but they've grasped the fundamental thing that makes programming a more powerful way of working. It's a way of thinking, not a particular syntax, and I think the economy will increasingly depend on those people who can amplify their effectiveness by thinking in that way. I hope to teach my kids some basic python and HTML but mostly I hope to teach them that just pushing buttons and doing what you're told for 40 hours a week will not be very fulfilling career. Even if you're technically a doctor or a lawyer, you could get stuck being basically a robot. Whereas being someone who designs repeatable systems is much more rewarding.

riggins 13y ago

I'm not sure that knowing how to code is even that useful for most people. In the actual world we live in I agree with you. However, in a thoughtful world, we would get everyone started coding at 5 and have many many classes devoted to it from K-12 ... because computers really are incredible force multipliers. If you know how to code, you can be much better at whatever you do. But back to the real world, it's going to be much more like your trigonometry ... where kids fight it and forget it when they graduate HS. I feel like saying everyone should learn to code is in the same spirit as saying everyone should get a stronger math education and everyone should learn statistics. Sure, everyone should get a better math education and learn statistics ... but that's easier said than done.

Nursie 13y ago

>> We learn math at school. I used trigonometry last week to create some cool android interaction mode, but I bet most of my classmates forgot it at 18, and only wish they remember it when it comes up on a TV quiz show. It will be the same with code. Good. Maybe 90% of people never use the knowledge again. Maybe 99%. That still leaves 1% who learned it, absorbed it fully and use it to improve the world. Computers run so very much of the world around us now, not giving people the chance to be educated to the level where they can meaningfully contribute is just plain wrong. Without this happening in school, most people will never have a chance.

randomdata 13y ago

I am left wondering: When did coding become not part of the public education system? My father recounts learning how to program on punch cards when he was in school. In my day we learned BASIC in elementary school and Pascal in high school. I've talked with people who are several years younger than me and apparently they learned on different languages again, but were introduced to coding just the same. It certainly wasn't an intensive computer science education, but I'm not sure anyone is advocating for that anyway.

mmagin 13y ago
Today they seem to assume knowing how to type and use a word processor is equivalent.

holri 13y ago

Now, your mom and here charity are completely dependent on Facebook. This is an excellent example why programming or being able to do something yourself is important to defend independence and freedom of our society.