Coding is Dead. Long Live the Coders

Post by nickpetri » Fri, Aug 17, 2012, 3:04 PM UTC

karamazov wrote: post #18

hkmurakami wrote: post #10

This is one of the most nonsensical articles I've ever come across on the HN front page. Synopsis: 1. Coding is dead (title) 2. Front-end development is being democratized by higher level paradigms, thereby obsoleting "coders" (defined loosely as those who code at the lower levels of abstraction) 3. BUT WAIT! Because programming has been made available to those who don't have the most fundamental level of understandi…

We're not affiliated with the VC. I thought the article is an interesting viewpoint from someone who isn't technical. It shows that there are tools enabling him to do what he would have previously needed a programmer to help him with. We want to make DataNitro compelling not just for Python experts, but also for Excel power users that have some basic programming knowledge (from using formulas, if statements, vlookups…

Yikes, I did not expect such strong opinions when I wrote this. Of course building an OS will always require coding, my point was that more usable front ends are replacing low-level coding projects. In the case of Zapier, instead of cobbling together APIs or hiring someone to do the same, I can use a drag and drop interface. Someone has to code for that to happen, but it isn't me anymore.

"Coding is dead" is obviously hyperbole. It would have been more accurate to call the article "Front end platforms are gradually replacing some light projects that previously would have required coding" but that didn't fit, so I went with the current title instead.

Like karamazov said, I'm not affiliated with DataNitro (except as a user), IFTTT, Zapier, or FRAPI, so please don't confuse my opinions with any of theirs. We are affiliated with Monetate, as I stated in the article, but I have no idea what they think of the article (and they probably disagree as much as everyone else seems to).

Post by hkmurakami » Sat, Aug 18, 2012, 1:47 AM UTC

nickpetri wrote: post #21

karamazov wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We're not affiliated with the VC. I thought the article is an interesting viewpoint from someone who isn't technical. It shows that there are tools enabling him to do what he would have previously needed a programmer to help him with. We want to make DataNitro compelling not just for Python experts, but also for Excel power users that have some basic programming knowledge (from using formulas, if statements, vlookups…

Yikes, I did not expect such strong opinions when I wrote this. Of course building an OS will always require coding, my point was that more usable front ends are replacing low-level coding projects. In the case of Zapier, instead of cobbling together APIs or hiring someone to do the same, I can use a drag and drop interface. Someone has to code for that to happen, but it isn't me anymore. "Coding is dead" is obviousl…

Thanks for taking the time to clarify your (non) affiliation with DataNitro. I apologize for my misunderstanding and appreciate you coming in to correct my errors.

Re: Coding is Dead. Long Live the Coders

Re: Coding is Dead. Long Live the Coders