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Zuck, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey In Short Film To Inspire Kids To Learn How To Code

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Re: Zuck, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey In Short Film To Inspire Kids To Learn How To Code

#21

Post by danso »

kayoone wrote: post #18

I get the message and it certainly makes sense for alot of people to be able to code, but on the other hand i know so many (also smart) people that hate any job that would involve using a computer for more than communication. Not everyone wants to sit in front of a screen all day, and imo thats a good thing.

Not everyone wants to sit and read or do calculations, but it's still important to have a basic grasp of literacy and numbers.

Currently, there is not a basic grasp of digital literacy. I don't think everyone should know, off the top of their head, how to compile a script. But if people understood the idea of patterns in text and repeatable tasks (i.e. for loops), that could be very helpful, especially to professional developers who can make use of structured, well planned information.

Re: Zuck, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey In Short Film To Inspire Kids To Learn How To Code

#22

Post by clockwork_189 »

I am in full support of this movement. Its benefit in my opinion are twofold: 1) Younger kids learn to code and which will result in them becoming more skillful programmers when they are older. 2) People who can currently program and write shitty code get challenged and can actually seek to improve their own skills and learn about more advanced concepts in programming.

Re: Zuck, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey In Short Film To Inspire Kids To Learn How To Code

#23

Post by devonbarrett »

steveinator wrote: post #5

I really wish people didn't spread this kind of message. Think job security guys! Come on!

Most of these people would not become developers. But think of the benefits if everyone had a brief exposure to how a computer works, or a realistic view of it should/can do. It may even cause everyone to regularly update their browsers as they now see the importance of it - we may even see the death of IE ;)

Re: Zuck, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey In Short Film To Inspire Kids To Learn How To Code

#24

Post by scarecrowbob »

I think it's interesting that initiatives to teach programming mostly reach to kids.

A big chunk of my peer group is 30 year-old underemployed humanities students. If they were interested, I'm sure that most of them could be not-underemployed.

Though TV takes its toll.

Re: Zuck, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey In Short Film To Inspire Kids To Learn How To Code

#25

Post by Androsynth »

[deleted] wrote: post #19
michaelochurch wrote: post #4

The gap between CS majors and software jobs is misleading. You don't need a CS degree to become a decent programmer. Still, if there's such a shortage of good programmers (and I agree that there probably is) then why aren't we playing this to our advantage? A senior engineer can't afford a house in the Bay Area or New York, and our status is low-- we still work for managers; we're a defeated tribe in this way. Most o…

[deleted]

If pilots had hangars and hangars full of free airplanes to choose from, I'm sure they would.

Re: Zuck, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey In Short Film To Inspire Kids To Learn How To Code

#26

Post by sreyaNotfilc »

grapjas wrote: post #12
Nemisis7654 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. Not many young people know who Gabe Newell or Drew Houston is. But seeing big names like that that younger people are familiar with could lead to more interest in coding. Great video.

Or compare the public reaction of the death of Steve Jobs vs. the death of David Ritchie

You mean Dennis Ritchie...

BTW, I posted news about his death (I heard of it a week after he died, go figure) on facebook. Its sad that one person replied with RIP Mr. Ritchie and a "like". I was pleased though.

That's the way the world turns.

Re: Zuck, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey In Short Film To Inspire Kids To Learn How To Code

#27

Post by 11001 »

klepra wrote: post #17
steveinator wrote: post #5

I really wish people didn't spread this kind of message. Think job security guys! Come on!

That is wrong attitude.

Honest question - why? How getting more people into automation business will benefit people who are in it now (us), or the economy (arguably automation makes jobs and whole industries redundant). I am all for encouraging people to study science and mathematics, but I don't understand the value of getting more people to just "code".

Re: Zuck, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey In Short Film To Inspire Kids To Learn How To Code

#28

Post by CodeCube »

greghinch wrote: post #6

It seems silly to me that a basic computer science ciriculum isn't being added to high school or before. In the same way you have to take basic biology, chemistry, and physics, a modern student needs at least a fundamental exposure to the basics of computing

I wholly agree with you, though I will expand it by saying that I hope they bring back some of the other vocational classes as well (woodshop, metalshop, etc). While I can't wait to see what new generations of programmers will bring us, we need craftsmen, mechanics, welders and other vocational professions just as much to help us with our physical infrastructure.

Basically, everything Mike Rowe says here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NwEFVUb-u0

Re: Zuck, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey In Short Film To Inspire Kids To Learn How To Code

#29

Post by jonknee »

michaelochurch wrote: post #4

The gap between CS majors and software jobs is misleading. You don't need a CS degree to become a decent programmer. Still, if there's such a shortage of good programmers (and I agree that there probably is) then why aren't we playing this to our advantage? A senior engineer can't afford a house in the Bay Area or New York, and our status is low-- we still work for managers; we're a defeated tribe in this way. Most o…

> Still, if there's such a shortage of good programmers (and I agree that there probably is) then why aren't we playing this to our advantage? A senior engineer can't afford a house in the Bay Area or New York, and our status is low-- we still work for managers; we're a defeated tribe in this way. Most of us don't have the autonomy to choose our tools or decide whether to use or replace old legacy code. Shouldn't our top priority, as a tribe, be to change this?

Working for someone else will almost always end up like that. Programming is interesting in that you don't have to work for someone else, you can scratch your own itch. You just need to make something that is useful.

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