You Don’t Need To Learn To Code

The article raises some Interesting points, even if all conflated under the banner of 'everyone should code' being wrong.

"Not everyone enjoys coding" Sure, in which case there's no point doing something you don't like. I do think however that everyone should be encouraged to give it a go and the barrier to entry should be low. Indeed it is getting lower with sites like codeacademy.org. My personal opinion is that basic coding (like that currently taught in UK universities) should be a mandatory class in high school alongside mathematics since the exposure and insight into the fundamental technology of the day is immensely useful.

"Not everyone is good at coding" Absolutely, the reference to academic programming and 'scripting' is absolutely true and as pointed out does not mean that the code solves problems inadequately. In fact I've experienced smart programmers go through this and completely miss the point that that they are hired to solve problems. Programmers can become obsessed with the style and cleanliness of their code – at the end of the day, the real aims should be maintainability and correctness, which are similar but not entirely the same.

"Code can't solve every problem" True story. Just like philosophy or mathematics, it's a tool in a box. There are always going to be crazies who take things to extremes, and let's face it, many programmers are somewhere on the spectrum and tend to have an idealistic outlook on life.

I think when people say, "Everyone should learn to code", they are referring to at least understanding the basics of how things work. Coding really helps develop problem solving skills. I don't think they mean everyone should become developers or change their professions. This takes it a little far.

Learn to code should be a skill and a hobby that people can pick up, not a requirement to get a better life / to advance into the future.