Can Anyone Become a Programmer?

another random user writes "A Q&A on Ars Technica asks about an old adage that many programmers stick to: 'It takes a certain type of mind to learn programming, and not everyone can do it.' Users at Stack Exchange are wading in with their answers, but what do Slashdot users think?"

Easy distinction...

[Andy Prough]

If you are interested in things like girls and personal grooming, you probably don't have the right kind of mind for programming...

Re:Absolutely not.

[Designersa]

Most people also want to have romantic relationships in their lives, so becoming a programmer is a very bad choice for them.

Re:Answer

[Deep Esophagus]

If you had what it takes to be a real programmer, your answer would have been:
0

Of Course!

[PatDev]

Based on my experience as a professional software developer dealing with many other programmers, I have to say yes! Anyone can become a programmer. You don't even have to learn how to program!

Re:Answer

[Kergan]

10 as in two, or ten?

Re:Answer

[tsa]

I asked but they don't understand what you mean.

Re:Absolutely not.

[Anonymous Coward]

So your specs say that you can only have two tasks running at once? Just swap current state to... oh, I see those are external systems and after you lose connection, reconnecting is a bitch... you might be right.

Re:There is nothing special about programming

[sycodon]

one could build and consistently apply a mental model of program execution; the other appeared either unable to build a model or to apply one consistently

So..Programmers and Managers.

Re:Obligatory

[synaptik]

There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who don't.

That joke ceased being funny, 10 years ago...

Re:There is nothing special about programming

[Maxmin]

My, that's a frothy spew you're squirting all over /. today! It's obvious you're just yanking everybody's codpiece, with such choice gems as-

• "All it takes to turn a non-programmer into a programmer ... is experience"
• "the ones here who think themselves exceptional are the ones who didn't go to college yet somehow manage to work in the industry"
• "What a bunch of egomaniacs."
• "You are the 21st century equivalent of an auto-mechanic"

You didn't include yourself in the pool of morons you've defined as being programming-capable. It's not hard to deduce that you're not a coder and resent them all, or you ARE one but went to college and resent the rest because they didn't. Either way, your rage outstrips your ability to reason ... which makes clear you're really in the first bucket- not a developer, because you haven't got the patience or intelligence left to rebuild a carburetor.

Re:There is nothing special about programming

[Maxmin]

Here's the truth

"Listen up, maggots."

Being able to write computer programs does not make you special.

"You are not special."

Any idiot can write code.

"You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake."

Get over yourself.

"You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else."

-narcc (412956)

-Tyler Durden

Re:Obligatory

[BronsCon]

Actually, there are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary, those who don't, and those who can't recognize a base-3 joke when the see it.