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So how is learning to code going to help with basic computer use skills? One does not imply the other.
by mhurron 13y ago
So how is learning to code going to help with basic computer use skills? One does not imply the other.
- gknoy 13y agoUnderstanding that the computer is a stupid, un-magical machine which obeys only (and exactly!) the instructions you give it is somewhat of a prerequisite for successfully writing computer programs. (Not exactly true, but it's very helpful.) Understanding that the computer is non-magical also means that your computer users may be more likely to understand how to troubleshoot errors ("Was it something I did, or something out of my control?").
- mhurron 13y agoCoding doesn't teach you that. I have programmers that write commercial software opening tickets to change their shell prompt, or to enable VNC on a Linux build server because they 'can't be expected to learn how these systems work, they're programmers.' What you want people to learn is basic system maintenance and troubleshooting.
- jiggy2011 13y agoIt helps a lot in a general sense, being able to reason through how a system might work can give you a lot more confidence in figuring out where to start on a problem. Of course when it comes to very specific issues it is always nice to have the luxury of opening a ticket and letting somebody who can do it 1/10th the time fix it for you.