July 10, 2013 at 9:47 am
I disagree with the 'everyone needs to learn to program' theory as was mentioned before in the 'everyone needs to know how to fix a car' example.
It would be good if people had a general knowledge of how it works in a general sense. Everyone should have a basic knowledge of first aid, but they should not attempt medicine. Everyone should have a basic understanding of law but they should not attempt to be their own lawyer. The average person should know how to change a tire, but not attemp to be their own mechanic.
The truth is, we DON'T need a universe of programmers. People need to get their jobs done (generally with applications) and it's up to the subset of the population who are programmers to provide them (just as it's up to the subset of the population that are automotive engineers and mechanics to provide viable vehicles).
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-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
July 10, 2013 at 9:49 am
Wow Steve, looks like you've sparked quite a philosophy session this hump-day morning!
I think that before adding programming to any curriculum, we need to add a logic classes first. I've seen too many people writing code that assume they are logical because they can code. And then a discrete mathematics class. Even if they don't go on to coding, they could at least figure out how many outfits 4 shirts, 3 pants and 2 pairs of shoes make. 😛
Also, in my world, I am not seeing a rush of people trying to code spreadsheets, access db's, mobile apps or anything else. I'm seeing people asking for these tools and in some cases, not really understanding what it is they will use them for. And what it takes to create them. I'm think 'we' (techs, programmers, dba's) are becoming more...separated?... defined?... as a group, as necessary personnel for any business to create these tools. As opposed to the controller who programs his own spreadsheets or the sales rep that creates his own pricing matrix.
July 10, 2013 at 2:35 pm
jay-h (7/10/2013)
I disagree with the 'everyone needs to learn to program' theory as was mentioned before in the 'everyone needs to know how to fix a car' example.It would be good if people had a general knowledge of how it works in a general sense. Everyone should have a basic knowledge of first aid, but they should not attempt medicine. Everyone should have a basic understanding of law but they should not attempt to be their own lawyer. The average person should know how to change a tire, but not attempt to be their own mechanic.
The truth is, we DON'T need a universe of programmers. People need to get their jobs done (generally with applications) and it's up to the subset of the population who are programmers to provide them (just as it's up to the subset of the population that are automotive engineers and mechanics to provide viable vehicles).
Does everyone need to program? Not all at the same level no. Should everyone learn some programming skills to meet tomorrow's demands? Probably. Should anyone who wants to be encouraged to give it a shot? You bet!
Things are changing, people who want to get their jobs done might need to write a macro, create a form, write complicated formulas or code some simplistic SQL like code. What use to be only for the 'power user' a few years back has become a requirement for anyone using certain tools today. As technology moves forward the need for elementary code abilities will become more widespread.
But I agree that does not mean that everyone should strive to be a master programmer. Not all have the skill, patience, or the creativity for it. The true scientist or artist of technology works on another level that few reach. Many aspire to it but not many get there. However, that they aspire and try to get there means that they are able to do the work that the true artist does not want to do. The excel macro or simple query can be done by those with sufficient skills, let the ones who are able write the complex CLR code and .net front end. Let those who see jquery, ajax, and HTML 5 as instruments to create a symphony do so.
In fact we need them all. The more who can code the better. There is always work for them to do. And let those who can do so. It works better that way!
🙂 Miles...
Not all gray hairs are Dinosaurs!
July 10, 2013 at 2:37 pm
I agree with those who say that programming is not a skill that the majority of people must have. At the same time, I think it is a skill that all educated people should have some passing familiarity with. It's in the same vein that I think every educated adult should have some chemistry, history, etc, under their belt. They don't have to be experts or even functional in it, but we all should know enough to intelligently participate in society's discussions about important topics like say, global climate change or stem cell research or nutrition science.
Another argument for making every Middle School? or High School? person have a programming class is to open up possibilities for young people. I just happened to take a Basic programming class in High School. I had no interest in programming before that. After that class, I realized that I LOVED programming. If we don't expose young people to the topic in a meaningful way, people can loose out on opportunities. Also, I suspect that early exposure in a positive way could get more diverse people into the field.
July 10, 2013 at 3:18 pm
I agree with you, JJ, that education people should have an exposure to programming, but not necessarily a high level of proficiency at it. It's somewhat analogous to elective courses in college. For example, my degree is in Mathematics, but I took an art appreciation course when working on my degree. I can't paint to save my life, but I can look at art and normally recognize what period of time it came from. I find that has enriched my life, even though I can't paint. By the same token I believe an exposure to programming, even if it's just a description of what algorithms are and a narrative of a few basic ones would be good for everyone, plus learning how to do some simple things like set program their DVR or set up rules within their email client. I also like the idea of a programming class, perhaps optional, in high school, so that people who might think they'd be interested in it could take it to "kick the tires" so to speak.
Kindest Regards, Rod Connect with me on LinkedIn.
July 11, 2013 at 7:45 am
I agree with Steve's assessment that programming is a core skill. I also feel strongly that a good portion of the population are loosing the ability to think for themselves. How many times do we hear "not my job" or listen to people who intentionally leave things left unsaid because they don't want to deal with them or don't know how? How often do we sanction incompetence by tolerating it?
Jeff is absolutely right in his assessment that there are a lot of developers haven't gotten the meaning of the word; they simply don't have the "geek gene" in their makeup. In fact, this also ties into thinking for yourself. When some developers don't have a utility or program to handle something for them, I've seen plenty of people throw their hands up and saw "it can't be done" when, in fact, a little ingenuity is all that's necessary. Even developers don't want to develop things for themselves. On a related note, how many forum posts have we read for homework or where people don't even try before posting?
Technology is a part of our lives and is definitely here to stay for the foreseeable future. Yes, it's being made simpler and simpler, but the developers are doing that to deal with the masses which technology is now reaching. In the end, I think that hardcore developers will remain necessary for quite a while. And don't forget about people to manage all this data. People are still a relevant piece of the technology equation.
July 31, 2013 at 10:10 am
I don't agree myself.
Computer literacy should be a core skill - like a driving test - but I would say programming should be a chosen subject. The thing I think people need to know is internet safety, and a broad introduction to technical terms maybe.
If someone who isn't a programmer sees an error message, they should be able to know if there is a major problem or not.
Same as with a car. If my oil light flashes I know I need to top it up pretty quickly. With a computer, if I get an email claiming to be from my bank I delete it.
Also, if programming is being touted as a core skill why not car mechanics?
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