[uoou]

That's true when programming for a job or otherwise trying to get serious work done.

But programming can (and also should) be play. For me it's explorative and playful, I'm just trying to make a fun thing happen or see what things I can connect together in what interesting ways. I imagine it's the same for kids taking their first steps by making lights flash with a RPi and Python and then wondering what they can do next (led by imagination).

The latter is very much like being in a kitchen and throwing ingredients together, trying things out to see what tastes good.

I think limiting ones thinking of programming to the former sort devalues it.

[morokhovets]

I agree. While learning it is (or should be) playing with the code and having the most fun, somwhere along the career path you find yourself being an engineer first and everything else second.