The important distinction is that knowing how to read and write is a basic skill everyone needs in order to be an effective human being.
Similarly, everyone needs to know math and problem solving skills (the major basis of programming) to be effective human beings.
In other words, I fully support the push for STEM, but force-feeding programming into the agenda is both unnecessary (as those interested in math, problem solving and computers will tend to go into programming fields) and potentially counterproductive (having many unskilled "programmers" trying to touch important software could be catastrophic in many cases.)
It's kind of like the groups of script-kiddies who consider themselves "hackers" but really aren't doing anything but utilizing tools real hackers have created. This is how NoFlo (from the article) strikes me.
> The important distinction is that knowing how to read and write is a basic skill everyone needs in order to be an effective human being.
I don't think that's true. Its something people may need to be (or, at least, greatly benefit from in being) effective members of modern society, but all the people that weren't part of the literate minority when literacy was rare (or before writing existed) were not "ineffective human heings".
Similarly, everyone needs to know math and problem solving skills (the major basis of programming) to be effective human beings.
In other words, I fully support the push for STEM, but force-feeding programming into the agenda is both unnecessary (as those interested in math, problem solving and computers will tend to go into programming fields) and potentially counterproductive (having many unskilled "programmers" trying to touch important software could be catastrophic in many cases.)
It's kind of like the groups of script-kiddies who consider themselves "hackers" but really aren't doing anything but utilizing tools real hackers have created. This is how NoFlo (from the article) strikes me.