View http://symbo1ics.com/blog/?p=1615
I’ve been meaning to write a thoughtful response to this video since first seeing it not long ago:
I think it’s a great video, it made me feel good about what I do, and I think it did a great job in accomplishing it’s goal of highlighting code.org. We’ve heard the opinion that everyone should build something before, and we’ve also heard strong rebuttals. I’m not sure if it’s just my pride overflowing my logic, but I too disagree that everyone should write code.
I think the aforelinked article does a great job in outlining my internal reaction to the video but does so in a way that’s more eloquent than I’d have been able to put together. I do have some additional thoughts, however. Taking a step back, I’m just not sure why this career in particular is deemed worthy of blanketing across all of humanity. I think it’s universally understood that writing software can accomplish some very far reaching things, but it’s not unique to programming. I also understand that anyone with access to a computer is capable of writing code, but why should they? It’s just a bit disheartening to see the edge cases, the unlikely outcomes, the financially successful conglomerated into a three minute video that essentially puffs up an entire industry into something it really isn’t. The correlation somewhat borders the NBA star in the video appearing in another one outlining how fun it is to be in the NBA and that you should do it too, if only you were properly exposed to it.
Again, I do think that part of my reaction is my pridefulness. If everyone did what I do that makes me inherently “less valuable” and no one wants that. I’m not sure how much it biases my overall reaction but all in all I find the approach interesting.