[careersuicide]

Yeah, but part of my point, which I suppose I could have made more explicit, was that I don't have to work for a large tech company. Or any company at all. I can, if I really want to, strike out on my own and do it myself. That's how I got started getting paid to program. That path isn't for everyone, but I think that it's possible at all is a wonderful thing. I get a sinking feeling in my gut when I even contemplate a future where doing so just isn't a real option in the same way that one can't just become a doctor by obsessively practicing medicine on their own every night in their free time. I know I'm not the only one who got into programming that way and I think it would be really sad to close that avenue off for potential future programmers.

[uola]

I unfortunately think that the reason why programming has been accessible is because we didn't know better. The standard for what can be publicly accessible on the Internet or what will compete for users attention is much higher today. I think for programming to remain open there must be formal ways to acquire knowledge or knowing the quality of a piece of software.