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50 years after Basic, most users still can't or won't program anything (www.zdnet.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/programming@programming.dev
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[–] 10 points 2 years ago (1 child)

College computer science courses have had to go back to teaching students what computer files and folders are. A lot of computer programs have simplified themselves as ease of use overtook features as a driving factor for use.

Most people don't know how to program because they don't know the basics of computing.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Nonsense. There are way more programmers now than there were in the Windows 3.1/9x era when you couldn't avoid files and folders. Ok more people are exposed to computers in general, but still... Anyone who has the interest to learn isn't going to be stopped by not knowing what file and folders are.

    It's like saying people don't become car mechanics because you don't have to hand crank your engine any more.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    It's like saying people don't become car mechanics because you don't have to hand crank your engine any more.

    I look at it more as most people don't need to know how to do basic car maintenance because cars and the systems surrounding cars are designed to where you don't need to know how to do basic car maintenance to drive a car.

    People can learn to program, but the vast majority don't have to know the basics of how a computer works to use one. Because of that, the vast majority of users aren't going to have the drive to learn to program.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Right but it isn't "the basics of how a computer works" that drives people to learn programming is it?

    Nobody says "aha, now that I know what Giles and folders are I will become a programmer".

    People become programmers for other reasons:

    • They want to make something (e.g. a game).
    • They are naturally interested in computers.
    • Money.
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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    No, but you need to know the basics of how a computer works to program. And if you are interested in computers, you are going to learn how they work.

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