My mother asked me a question during our most recent phone call that tech bloggers and pundits have discussed for well over a decade: Is it a good thing to teach kids how to code in school?
On the surface, the most obvious answer to this question is a simple "Yes", but I wanted to know why my mum asked this question, given that she doesn't even own a computer and sees them as conveniences, but not essential.
If more people can write code, then why wouldn't a company just replace programmers after a couple of years to keep costs low?
Ah … the IBM Way™ of running a business.
The question came about as I was describing the philosophy that I adhere to when writing code and how it can create friction with management teams who expect absolute obedience from their people. So, with this in mind, the question could probably be phrased like:
Aren't you worried that you will be replaced with a younger person who knows the basics of coding and won't question authority?
Short answer to this question is "No" and I would encourage everyone to learn even a little bit about how to make computers work for them rather than the other way around. There are professional data analysts who earn six figures a year just because they discovered the power of VLOOKUP in Excel and launched themselves into a new career as a result. There are musicians who learned a dozen commands in Python to create a custom pattern synthesiser which resulted in a long career. There are kids all over the world with beat up computers who discover that a little bit of PHP can be the start of a career writing plugins for many of the most popular website engines that are currently in use. With just a little bit of knowledge, computers transform from "magical black boxes" to "tools that enable work to be done". If someone learns a little bit and makes a little money, they are free to decide whether they take the plunge to build their skillset or move on to other things.
An example I gave to my mother went along the lines of "How is learning to code any different from learning a language?" Is anyone threatened when there's another human who can speak (or sign) a language? Most of us can communicate with our mouths, hands, and even eyes. If a billion people were to learn Esperanto, would that be a net negative for anybody who is currently fluent in that tongue? At the very least, it would open up a new market for art and culture.
Going further, we all have our first languages. Some people use it better than others, and those who put it to great use earn the greatest benefits.
So … no. I am not worried at all when schools teach kids how to write code. I am not worried at all if management is upset when I refuse to do something the way they want because it conflicts with a philosophy I adhere to. I am not worried at all if I am replaced, as it's bound to happen eventually. What I am worried about is people not having the opportunity to learn a skill that may help them solve a problem they'll face at some point in life.