I posted on Jeff's original HN posting... so I know what it's like to have one's arguments split over multiple tit-for-tat postings.
I also agree with what you advise that learning is good for its own sake esp. if it is a concrete skill.
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But I think the "learn to code in a year" fad has less to do with normal concrete skills. A lot of the cheerleading present this mysterious "Coding" as some form of national imperitive.
I've seen references to how many 'coders' other countries have as some sort of Arms Race. More coders == better somehow.
Whilst I admit having zero coders is bad, I just don't think that happens in practice.
I also agree with what you advise that learning is good for its own sake esp. if it is a concrete skill.
--
But I think the "learn to code in a year" fad has less to do with normal concrete skills. A lot of the cheerleading present this mysterious "Coding" as some form of national imperitive.
I've seen references to how many 'coders' other countries have as some sort of Arms Race. More coders == better somehow.
Whilst I admit having zero coders is bad, I just don't think that happens in practice.