[amelius]

> I liken coding to playing a musical instrument.

Except with a musical instrument, anybody can judge whether you are good at it. Not so with programming. Everybody who ever wrote one line of HTML can call themself a programmer, but only trained people can tell whether you are a good one.

You might say at this point: so what? But I think the distinction is important, because it may be the reason the "driving force" is missing for a lot of people. If programming really had "rock stars" we might have had a lot more good programmers.

[pjc50]

Pop music is quite capable of working with "stars" who can't play their instrument or sing, especially since the invention of Autotune.

[teh_klev]

Counterpoint, I can knock out a first class "Stairway to Heaven" in the local electric guitar shop simply by remembering where my fingers should be but not having any clue about what chords and notes they are.

Can I be judged to be an accomplished musician upon that sole rendition?

[dasboth]

Of course not. There isn't really a programming equivalent though. I guess you could memorise the syntax for one specific, complicated program and you're right, that wouldn't make you a programmer.

[deaconblues]

No, definitely not. But you could certainly get a few others together, start a band, play some gigs, maybe even make a little bit of money.