English Title: Moving Beyond Code——Why the Future Does Not (Exactly) Belong to Coders
Author: Ali R. Tariq @alirtariq (Twitter)
On August 7th, Beijing time, Bill Gates once said: "Learning programming exercises your mind and helps you think better. It creates a way of thinking that allows you to think better about everything, which is helpful in all fields."
Thus, programming can expand your thinking, programming can enhance your abilities, and editing can make big money...
Thus, programming has been overemphasized.
Let me clarify one point: programming has been overemphasized.
A popular notion is that software code is the language of the future, and further, that programming is an essential skill for the future. As an individual, if you want to have a place in the future, you'd better learn some programming.
The consequences of this notion are:
1. People entering school or preparing to start looking for jobs will seriously consider entering the software development industry, even if their true interests lie elsewhere.
2. Those who have already graduated and lack a programming background feel inferior, believing they are more likely to be excluded compared to colleagues with programming backgrounds.
In my view, these two points are overreactions to trends, as it appears that the global economy is becoming increasingly centered on code. The problem lies in the belief that the economy, the world, and the future will revolve around code.
Is it really like that? No, it's not.
As long as we are in the pre-Singularity era (Singularity is a concept operating system proposed by Microsoft), and as long as humans control our economic, social, and political decisions, our global ecosystem will continue to be driven by human needs. Everything else is a tool or a language used to empower individuals.
This includes code.
We should view programming as a skill that contributes to your success; it is neither a curse nor a panacea.
Now is the age of hacker generalists, where anyone can learn some programming skills while having another profession. These people do not program just for programming's sake; it is a tool that provides value.
Among the MBA students I teach, one team made very impressive slides. I asked who designed them, and they pointed to one member, a cardiac surgeon. He told me that before becoming a doctor, he had worked as a graphic designer. A transition from graphic designer to cardiac surgeon is truly incredible!
What if he learned some programming? What if he knew how to use HTML5 and CSS3 to create websites? What if he could tweak PHP code? What if he could download and use jQuery plugins?
I believe his abilities would bring tremendous added value to the ward and patients.
In the 21st century, we should understand that many aspects of life are interconnected, and technologies are interwoven. Once we understand this, we will know how we, as individuals, teams, and organizations, should address the problems that entangle humanity.
Simply being a Java EEE expert, or a Django guru, or a programming language wizard, is no longer enough. To truly move the world forward, stand out, become tomorrow's problem solvers, and become truly creative, you need something new: depth and breadth. In short, you need to excel in some other disciplines.
This tells us:
1. If you are a programmer, learn some skills and knowledge from other fields. This will increase possibilities and allow you to apply your programming skills in other areas.
2. If you are not a programmer but have skills in other fields, you can learn some basic programming knowledge. This will enhance your ability, allowing you to solve problems at a new level. It can also utilize your talents in new ways.