Devs: Barack Obama's gunning for your job! Barack Obama has written what is believed to be the first computer code ever penned by a US President. Obama wrote what programming education body Code.org says was “a few lines of JavaScript”, but just what he coded has not been revealed. President @BarackObama is learning an #HourOfCode! (He's writing a few lines of …
Faithfully copied from an aide provided brief, which was faithfully copied from an email written by somebody, somewhere, who once took a programming course and still had the textbook(s).
So-called "#HourOfCode!" is just as sensible as "#HourOfPlumbing" or "#HourOfMudding" or "#HourOfFraming" or "#HourOfWiring" or "#HourOfCooking" or "#HourOfFarming" or "#HourOfFishing" or "#HourOfBaking".
Or, the ultimate stupid option: "#HourOfEngineering".
Alright, but that is a archaic technology not really being used on a day to day basis anymore, atleast not in direct interaction for most people, and it's more in the domain of the Electrical Engineer then a programmer/coder that would possible design a interface or a website. It's a wide field nowadays, nothing like it was in its beginning, and yes I understand the value of going back to basics but its not a good introduction at all.
You dont teach people to fly by throwing them off hills in the old gliders or the wright flyer, we have passed that stage no matter how interesting it might be.
I rebuilt my first motorcycle engine/trans when I was 9 (a Bultaco dirtbike, with the help of my gear-head Uncle). I cast my first main bearing in place (Atlas-Imperial marine engine, same Uncle supervising) when I was 11. I still own that motor and the late-1920s 45 foot cocktail cruiser that we put it into. My Daughter owns the Bultaco, and is restoring it for my 3 year old granddaughter's 7th birthday present.
I haven't actually designed a motor from the ground up, but I did build a series of cross-flow heads for Datsun L-series engines using my CNC Bridgeport.
Knowing how the nuts & bolts work isn't a bad thing.
Fondling an iFad or Fandroid doth not a computer scientist make.
In a litigious society like ours, I would not want to teach #HourOfWiring. However, in #HourOfPlumbing one could probably teach the beginner how to change the washer or cartridge in a faucet, and maybe how to do basic toilet repairs. As such it might be more useful than the others.
Do I expect #HourOfCode to make a great difference in the world? No. Is writing a bit of Javascript sillier than various other stunts presidents are expected to take on, say pardoning a turkey in November or throwing it out the first baseball in the spring? Not really.
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