Comments on: Who Will Write Tomorrow’s Code? http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/ because it alliterates, and some blogs are journalism Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:27:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Clyde Seigle http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/comment-page-1/#comment-79284 Clyde Seigle Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:18:18 +0000 http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/#comment-79284 Very interesting article. It resonates with me as a middle-aged (ex) programmer who is still happy to engage in a discussion about how the electrons transit the PN junction of a transistor on the substrate of a multi-core micro-Processor. Unfortunately, current thinking is that IT (including programming) has become a commodity and therefore no longer offers any competitive advantage. The only real need is to manage the cost down. (See the HPR article IT Doesn't Matter). I would argue the point but that’s for a different forum… Large contracts go to the vendor with the lowest price, and probably a vast team of uninspired developers, who crank out inelegant code that ‘meets the requirement’. It is probably on-time and on budget but it also surely does not deliver the impact it could have. Unless and until the current climate changes, there is very little reason to become a programmer. I, in fact, have discouraged my children from coming anywhere near IT or programming. While it is very enjoyable from a creative perspective, it is not a viable career any longer except for those select few who happen to be in a company that still has the vision to see competitive advantage in IT. Very interesting article. It resonates with me as a middle-aged (ex) programmer who is still happy to engage in a discussion about how the electrons transit the PN junction of a transistor on the substrate of a multi-core micro-Processor.
Unfortunately, current thinking is that IT (including programming) has become a commodity and therefore no longer offers any competitive advantage. The only real need is to manage the cost down. (See the HPR article IT Doesn’t Matter). I would argue the point but that’s for a different forum…
Large contracts go to the vendor with the lowest price, and probably a vast team of uninspired developers, who crank out inelegant code that ‘meets the requirement’. It is probably on-time and on budget but it also surely does not deliver the impact it could have.
Unless and until the current climate changes, there is very little reason to become a programmer. I, in fact, have discouraged my children from coming anywhere near IT or programming. While it is very enjoyable from a creative perspective, it is not a viable career any longer except for those select few who happen to be in a company that still has the vision to see competitive advantage in IT.

]]> By: Ged Haywood http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/comment-page-1/#comment-78628 Ged Haywood Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:06:26 +0000 http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/#comment-78628 Trying to send mail to you from 217.147.177.250 but the connection is refused. Any idea why? PS: If you want programming tools, get Linux. It comes with all of them. I mean _all_ of them. Trying to send mail to you from 217.147.177.250 but the connection is refused.

Any idea why?

PS: If you want programming tools, get Linux. It comes with all of them. I mean _all_ of them.

]]> By: Steve Scott http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/comment-page-1/#comment-75710 Steve Scott Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:19:02 +0000 http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/#comment-75710 Great article. In answer to your question - I will be writing tomorrows code & my son is interested too, but we'll see! I cut my programming teeth on ZX81, Spectrum and the BBC Micro but it's such an incredibly different technology world now. That's where I started; todays young programmers start at a much higher level. They can achieve things in a few clicks that I only dreamed of with my 8 bits.. Today very few people understand (or are even interested in) how all the layers of IJW ('It Just Works') technology actually work. Indeed we can't easily get access to it anyway - the inner workings of today's systems are rightly hidden from our eyes. That's the way it will stay. Programmers from my generation, bridging the gap as it were from 'micro' to 'server farms', should be active in helping younger programmers understand where it all came from. One thing I'm finding though: it's harder and harder to keep 'programming' as a day Job.. The more 'plug and play' it gets, the less challenging & creative [fun!], the less I want to do it. There are fewer and fewer active-day-job programmers out there in the UK who can remember a pre-internet age. Most of them have got sucked into middle management and spend their days in meetings. Most of the programmers I work with are younger than me & I'm only mid thirties. I think I'll go fire up my Spectrum emulator now! Great article. In answer to your question – I will be writing tomorrows code & my son is interested too, but we’ll see!

I cut my programming teeth on ZX81, Spectrum and the BBC Micro but it’s such an incredibly different technology world now. That’s where I started; todays young programmers start at a much higher level. They can achieve things in a few clicks that I only dreamed of with my 8 bits..

Today very few people understand (or are even interested in) how all the layers of IJW (‘It Just Works’) technology actually work. Indeed we can’t easily get access to it anyway – the inner workings of today’s systems are rightly hidden from our eyes. That’s the way it will stay. Programmers from my generation, bridging the gap as it were from ‘micro’ to ’server farms’, should be active in helping younger programmers understand where it all came from.

One thing I’m finding though: it’s harder and harder to keep ‘programming’ as a day Job.. The more ‘plug and play’ it gets, the less challenging & creative [fun!], the less I want to do it. There are fewer and fewer active-day-job programmers out there in the UK who can remember a pre-internet age. Most of them have got sucked into middle management and spend their days in meetings. Most of the programmers I work with are younger than me & I’m only mid thirties. I think I’ll go fire up my Spectrum emulator now!

]]> By: Computer Articles http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/comment-page-1/#comment-75427 Computer Articles Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:20:08 +0000 http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/#comment-75427 Even if the code you are going to teach a kid in his elementary years be like a simple math program, do you think he is ready to conceptualize the whole proces and steps needed to create, troubleshoot and evaluate a simple program? You may be succesful in making one replicate a given program but to have him achieve programmer skills will take years!!! www.earticles.com Even if the code you are going to teach a kid in his elementary years be like a simple math program, do you think he is ready to conceptualize the whole proces and steps needed to create, troubleshoot and evaluate a simple program?
You may be succesful in making one replicate a given program but to have him achieve programmer skills will take years!!!

http://www.earticles.com

]]> By: Richard http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/comment-page-1/#comment-75207 Richard Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:35:51 +0000 http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/#comment-75207 I tried in vain to find a 'programming for kids' book for my maths friendly son. Any suggestions? Another great article, many thanks Bill. I tried in vain to find a ‘programming for kids’ book for my maths friendly son. Any suggestions?

Another great article, many thanks Bill.

]]> By: Joe Ray http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/comment-page-1/#comment-74010 Joe Ray Sat, 05 Apr 2008 08:26:07 +0000 http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/#comment-74010 When I was in middle school (about 10 years ago) we were taught to use a program called Logo. Ostensibly a maths program, it actually taught the basic principles behind programming - mainly logic. More programs like this, that at the very least introduce kids to the skills they need to program, would certainly help. And indeed, they are being produced: take a look at this <a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070722-new-educational-tool-makes-programming-like-playing-with-lego-bricks.html" rel="nofollow">Ars Technica article on Scratch</a>. When I was in middle school (about 10 years ago) we were taught to use a program called Logo. Ostensibly a maths program, it actually taught the basic principles behind programming – mainly logic. More programs like this, that at the very least introduce kids to the skills they need to program, would certainly help.

And indeed, they are being produced: take a look at this Ars Technica article on Scratch.

]]> By: Muhammad Adil http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/comment-page-1/#comment-73988 Muhammad Adil Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:19:25 +0000 http://www.thebillblog.com/billblog/index.php/2008/04/05/who-will-write-tomorrows-code/#comment-73988 I really dont know how we can teach users of system to think like they are programmers but one good news at least that since UK need more programmers and my HSMP application will be accepted because i am programmer yapi :) I really dont know how we can teach users of system to think like they are programmers but one good news at least that since UK need more programmers and my HSMP application will be accepted because i am programmer yapi :)

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