Why I’m not learning to code (and why tech needs more humanists)(zarazhang.com)
zarazhang.com
Why I’m not learning to code (and why tech needs more humanists)
https://zarazhang.com/2023/08/26/why-im-not-learning-to-code-and-why-tech-needs-more-humanists/
5 comments
The “everyone should learn to code” trend is just a cheap attempt to lower software wages. Most people shouldn’t learn to code, it can be challenging for very very little gain.
I think our society would be better off if we replaced this mantra with “Everyone should learn the basics of accounting, woodworking and cooking.” But BigTech doesn’t profit as much from that.
I think our society would be better off if we replaced this mantra with “Everyone should learn the basics of accounting, woodworking and cooking.” But BigTech doesn’t profit as much from that.
I think it's just a jobs program. Many fields are being made redundant these days and STEM seems to be growing more and more. Public school officials have only one tool at their disposal to fix social problems: teaching. So they decide to fix the problem of jobs vanishing due to automation by trying to push every student toward the same path
We need more people who understand the oral history of our culture. This is why I'm not learning to read.
I think humanism is sorely missing in tech these days. I am not a fan of Apple's products, but I think that what is missing in design these days is humans at the center, which is what Apple used to do.
There's a story that Steve Jobs wanted to limit the size of the first iPhone so that you could reach any part of the screen with your thumb, holding the phone in one hand. Today, I am typing this with two hands on my phone.
It feels like in those days (the mid 2000s to mid 2010s) technology was built to serve human needs. It now feels like humans re-orient our desires around what technology now has to offer. Flat UI is the perfect example of this: I have seen studies that show that flattening UI makes it harder for users to find their way around a page. "Next" buttons are less obvious and the user wanders with their mouse, or clicks the wrong item.
Compare this with the skeumorphic design of mid 2000s Apple, where buttons were meant to approximate real life 3 dimensional things, with their glossy design adding depth to the screen. Many look at this design and flinch at the kitsch as a reflex, but I think it's emblematic of how technology used to try to fit itself into our world, rather us trying to fit ourselves into tech
There's a story that Steve Jobs wanted to limit the size of the first iPhone so that you could reach any part of the screen with your thumb, holding the phone in one hand. Today, I am typing this with two hands on my phone.
It feels like in those days (the mid 2000s to mid 2010s) technology was built to serve human needs. It now feels like humans re-orient our desires around what technology now has to offer. Flat UI is the perfect example of this: I have seen studies that show that flattening UI makes it harder for users to find their way around a page. "Next" buttons are less obvious and the user wanders with their mouse, or clicks the wrong item.
Compare this with the skeumorphic design of mid 2000s Apple, where buttons were meant to approximate real life 3 dimensional things, with their glossy design adding depth to the screen. Many look at this design and flinch at the kitsch as a reflex, but I think it's emblematic of how technology used to try to fit itself into our world, rather us trying to fit ourselves into tech
The true ideal, imo, is to be a scientist AND an artist. Society in general does need more of the humanities. However, I learn everything I can, from dbt nuances to baking nuances to how to make a clean suture to sharpening a chainsaw. They feed back to each other. Learning drumming gave rhythm to my paintings. Learning coding helped optimize the organization of my pantry.
If you haven't read it, you might enjoy Kevin Kelly's interview with Brian Eno from 1995 with the famous quote "Do you know what I hate about computers? The problem with computers is that there is not enough Africa in them."
https://www.wired.com/1995/05/eno-2/