Some believe that computer coding

will be a measure of literacy

in the future.

The ability to write program code

is an amazing skill.

It is the mastery of a language.

Like a foreign spoken language,

coding allows a person

to communicate on an intimate level

with a computing system.

But is it necessary to program a

computer in order to use a computer?

In the beginning,

computers were programmed by

flipping toggle switches: up for 1 or down for 0.

When the switches were arranged, the program flowed through these gates

to a logical result.

This was a very low level program.  Low is simple, high is complex.

As programs increase in complexity they are said to be

higher level programming.

Low level program routines are combined to produce more and more

comprehensive results.

For example:

When calculating the length of a hypotenuse,

the following routines are combined:

1. 1.One leg of a right triangle is multiplied by itself.
   

2. 2.This same routine is used to multiply the other leg by itself.
   

3. 3.Another routine adds the two squared results together.
   

4. 4.A third routine calculates the square root of this sum.
   

The result of these calculations is the length of the hypotenuse,

via the Pythagorean theorem.

Three low level programs are combined to create one higher level program.

From the point of view of the user, the higher the level of programming,

the easier it is to use.

The user of the Pythagorean example simply inputs the length

of each of the two sides.

In comparison the programmer had to write many lines of code

to generate the solution.

Literacy in the future will be more about user interfaces,

than programming the computers.

The need to read may be replaced by the skill of listening.

Writing may be replaced by dictation.

Coding is not a measure of general literacy, such as reading and writing.

It is a specific skill… the understanding of the computer language. 

There will always be a need for coders to write the algorithms,

maintain the programs and improve and repair the applications. 

Knowledge has been measured in the past by a person’s ability

to memorize and remember information.

Since information is readily available in our modern digital devices,

the skill of knowledge is now the ability to research and find information.

Programmers lurk in the background, writing database and search algorithms

which aid in our research.

These are highly complex routines which combine all the lower level

programs from the past into search engines such as Google.

From the point of view of the user, all that is required is to ask a question.

The task of the programmer is to sift through Zettabytes of information

so the computer can deliver an answer.

The creation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a massive programming task.

Tens of thousands of coders are working on creating AI.

The goal of AI will be the ability to interact with a user

as if it were a human being.

A human being, that is, with access to all the knowledge of mankind.

Algorithms may someday be written to allow the AI to program the AI. 

On that topic, i wonder if the creation can ever fully understand the creator.

While researching this question i found no references to AI worshipping

its human creator, but much conjecture of humans worshipping an AI God.

In either case, the programmer must continue his work, even after the AI

becomes sentient. 

The programmer, the creator, must serve as a guide and model

for the self aware computer.

Users need not be fluent in code. 

A driver need not understand the design of a car to drive.

The higher the level of program, the less the user need know of programming.

i can foresee a day when the fluency of using a program will be

as simple as desiring a result. 

For those desires to be fulfilled, we will need coders.