Aptitude required

[supergee]

Learn to code: It’s harder than you think.

Thanx to Slate Star Codex

Comments

Interesting Article, But ...

[arlie]

I read it. My first reaction was complete agreement. But my second was to see it as a major example of sloppy, and most likely wishful, thinking. And with the comment thread gigantic, and with the usual number of rah-rah boys reiterating their entrenched beliefs, I don't think posting there is likely to be productive. So I'm here.

OP needs to decide whether zir point is "programming is a specific talent" or "programming well requires being the type of person who could be good at anything". Zie conflates the two inextricably. Of course that may be because either one, stated baldly, is arrant nonsense.

However, a nuanced view would say something like:

programming requires a level of ability at logical thinking, which is easier for some people than others. Some people seem to be "tone deaf" in this area, unable to learn it at all, but many (most) are teachable, and some find it easy.

as with many skills, general intelligence is useful both for learning it and for doing it well

some personality factors make programming more or less attractive. If you don't much like it, you have a disadvantage compared to those who like it, intensified by the fast pace of change, leading to a need to constantly update your skills, generally on your own time

it's likely to be useful for most people to understand a little bit about programming, for all the usual reasons that it's useful to understand a pervasive technology.
--- But training intended for that purpose isn't going to make you employable in the field, just as the basic class on car maintenance I enrolled in as a new car owner taught me little more than how to communicate with a real mechanic.
--- nonetheless, more talented/interested individuals in that class went on to do some of their own minor maintenance
--- and perhaps a few people taking courses of that type have enjoyed them so much that they pursued additional training and went into the field

It seems obvious that the level of programming/software engineering eventually attained is variable. Not everyone is going to be among the best, even after a lifetime in the industry.

Most entry level programmers are going to be a lot less able than just about any experienced programmer. Even those with more raw coding skill are likely to have limited exposure to common idioms, not to mention workplace realities, such as legal requirements, never ending maintenance, unrealistic schedules, bad specifications, etc.

On the other hand, there's some evidence that the biggest factor affecting programmer productivity is the work environment, not individual skill.

On the other hand, the campaign the OP objects to seems pretty silly to me, but I'm seeing it at second or third hand. As presented, it seems to be conflating the equivalent of "auto maintenance for new car owners" with "have a great career as a professional mechanic". But that might be the OP's presentation, not the campaign itself.