Re:First Edition Unix Manual 'Miscellaneous' Section (1971) ...
by simonh on Wednesday September 08, 2021 @06:35AM
(#28455279)
You don't even need to install anything, there are plenty of programming environments online. My kids wrote their first programs using Scratch, there are dozens of sites that will let you type in Python and run it right there and then. There are programming apps for mobile phones and tablets. You can even develop applications in Swift on the iPad using Playgrounds and soon will be able to upload them directly to the App Store.
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Re:First Edition Unix Manual 'Miscellaneous' Section (1971) ...
by em500 on Wednesday September 08, 2021 @07:51AM
(#28455726)
I agree that the actual barriers are probably lower than ever, e.g. with Scratch, Playgrounds, replit or even the browser JS console. I think the bigger issue is that the competition for (child) attention and interest is much fiercer nowadays. In the 1980s we had a few channels of fixed TV programs, maybe a handful of expensive computer/video games, LEGO and some plastic toys. Even back then, interest in programming was only for a select few.
Lets not fool ourselves, programming has a steep effort-reward curve, maybe even steeper than chess or music instruments. Nowadays it's competing against an infinite supply of deliberately tuned shallow-curved attention seekers like youtube/tiktok videos and app store quasi-games.