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> There was a time when 'writing' was a specialist activity best left to professionals. Imagine if that never changed? Writing = thoughts put on paper. When wr
by pakitan 12y ago
> There was a time when 'writing' was a specialist activity best left to professionals. Imagine if that never changed?
Writing = thoughts put on paper. When writing was a "specialist" activity it was due mostly to technical difficulties rather than people needing a whole new breed of skills. The anatomist analogy is a good one. But if we extend it to IT, it doesn't mean everybody should be able to program. Rather, everybody should know basic computer operation and how to use the most popular programs.
- scotty79 12y agoProgramming = putting thoughts into computers in executable form. I think all people should learn how to make computer do their bidding at a rate more than one click at a time.
- pakitan 12y agoDon't stop there. Architecture = putting thoughts in a "virtual building" form. Therefore everyone should learn how to design their own house. Seriously, you're making quite the jump putting writing on the same level as programming.
- ryanpardieck 12y agoMore importantly, writing is an important mode of communication in a way programming will never be (and programming shouldn't be expected to be that). Penpals don't mail source code back and forth to each other. Thinking knowing to code is as important as literacy is just another version of people thinking their specific profession is super-important because it's what they spend their time doing. I imagine some especially pompous auto mechanics think knowing the internals of a car is as important as reading and writing. (Though, I imagine there are much fewer pompous auto mechanics than pompous hackers.)