BigDumbDinosaur wrote:
That result is the combination of x86 architecture PCs turning into commodities, use of very high level languages that completely insulate the "programmer" from any aspect of the underlying system, and the general dumbing-down of computer users by WIMP interfaces. Thirty years ago, there weren't a lot of totally naive computer users around. Now they're like flies at the city dump.
I look at some of the Arduino stuff and see it's targeted at basically artists who want blinking lights in their projects. That's awesome.
I'm a complete and total supporter of end-user programming, things like Excel macros or stitching a table together in MS-Access or FileMaker. Things that make experienced computer folks just CRINGE. The Rube Goldbergian constructs users create.
A favorite anecdote about an encounter that helped me see the light this way was when a young kid working at our office on a project using Delphi and SQL Server. The project was delivered, customer was happy, the stuff worked (tm). I asked him how it was going, how he was finding things.
He said that it's all pretty good, but he kept getting confused and couldn't really tell the difference between RAM and Disk.
That made my heart skip a beat. Here's a guy that doesn't apparently have even the vaguest concept of basic computer architecture. Clearly no clue. I remember back driving with my Dad, as he'd chatter on about microprocessors and what not, and the day I finally "aha'd" what he meant by the word "bus". You know, fundamentals of computer operation.
Yet, even in his ignorance of the man and magic behind the curtain, he was productive, solved a problem, empowered and helped others out of some menial task, and brought new efficiencies and flexibility where none was before for this client.
That's a WIN.
Think of all the mouth breathing, knuckle draggers that Home Depot etc. empower every day with tools and books and such to help ruin their own home (I know this well, I'm one of them...took me an hour to replace an outlet yesterday).
It's all good, partial learning is good. I can look at a clock and watch the sun every day without having a clue about orbital or even quantum mechanics.
So, all hail ubiquitous computing. When I had my fences done, the guy came out with an iPhone and an iPad. He did his scheduling, his invoicing, email, had lots of photos. He's a welder, he's a craftsman. He's not a "computer guy".
End user empowerment. It's all good.
We'd love to hear about those, if you have time to describe them!
