
Everyone Can Code: Apple's Attempt to Make Coding Commonplace - jordansmithnz
http://jordansmith.io/everyone-can-code/
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daly
I agree. Everyone can code. Everyone can do plumbing (but I want a master
plumber for my high-rise). Everyone can do welding (but I want a master welder
for my super-tanker). Everyone can do surgery (but I want a doctor to actually
do it).

There is a meme being spread that anyone can code, with the implication that
since coding is easy then being a programmer is easy. I agree that anyone can
code. But being a programmer is hard. It isn't 'coding' that makes it hard. It
is living in a constant state of frustration.

For example, I have C code that has compiled cleanly since the 1980s. It won't
compile on Ubuntu 17.04. Why? Who knows. But I have to figure it out. The
problem isn't in the "code". Someone changed something somewhere for what they
thought was a good reason (I assume) and now my 1.2 million lines of code
fails to compile. What changed? The compiler (yep), the libraries (yep), the
operating system (yep), and which change is the fatal flaw? Is it a simple
one-line fix or do I have to re-architect the code to get around it?

Coding is easy. Finding MY mistake is easy. However, programming is hard. You
have to learn to live with moments of success within years of frustration. It
is a lot like being a parent I guess. Anyone can do it but few are exceptional
at it.

