I think this is a misdirected concern that misses the point that we are all interconnected and interdependent. Everyone needs most everyone else in order to get things done and live life. We all need farmers, for example. I can barely raise a single plant beyond potting and watering it, so I rely on others (and thus pay them for their services) for my food.

I of course am not suggesting that knowing how to program is necessarily a worthless pursuit for anyone who does not do it to earn a paycheck. I’m saying though that it’s not feasible to express concern that people need to learn what can be a very sizable new chunk of knowledge simply for the sake of understanding why email gets sent when they press a virtual button. I would love to know how to program. I just have no time for it at present. But what language? Some are more relevant than others, and no two are identical. And then there are differences, such as “writing code” versus scripting.

This problem is not a new realization or an expression of sloth; it’s simply an acknowledgement of human limitations and societal arrangement. Regardless, I will look into Scratch as a means of helping me understand programming. It sounds like a worthwhile initiative.

Litteracy is what I called a bundled word.

Lets take the case of someone who can read and understand any subject or diagram easily, but for some reason cannot write in an understandable manner. Would we say that he is illiterate?

Some people would say yes and some would say no. Such is the nature of bundled words.

Our language needs to change a bit and be more verb oriented. “Can read”, “Can write”, are two different things.

Litteracy is one dangerous word. Reminds me of democracy. People are ready to kill without thinking to preserve democracy. Such is the power of the abstract word in the post-gutenburg era.

Those who think that providing laptops to kids, or giving them programming classes is preparing them for the major types of changes coming from this major technological revolution really don’t realize what type of revolution we are currently living.

Would rather see classes on how to avoid computer addiction, on what is cyberbullying, on how to report sexual predators, on the need to do physical activity to counterbalance the effects of computers etc.

This said, Programming does develop certain skills by providing an opportunity to see our minds at work. Its a bit like playing chess. It lets you discover that your mind sometimes plays tricks on you. It also develops a vocabulary around logical and object constructs.

But if our schools were properly designed logical thinking would already be part of it and there would really be no universal need to teach programming more than anything else.

The skills required to survive the major change wave we are about to see will not be computer skills. Sure you have to know a bit about how to use the devices but you must also learn to live by the rules.,

Politicians who know how to program won’t have better chances at keeping their jobs.