[bshipp]

It's not a good thing or a bad thing. I'm saying it's not a thing at all.

If someone decides they want to run a custom ruby or python script the least difficult aspect of that decision is installing the interpreter. For example, I was dealing with someone yesterday who decided they wanted to learn how to write apps for Android. Without even seeing a single line of code (or even knowing which language they would have to learn!!) they had already successfully installed Android Studio and Jetbrains IDEA.

Without coming across as some gatekeeping greybeard, I think anyone who has even a glancing interest in programming would agree if you can't follow a one-line/click installation instruction you may want to find a simpler tool for the task than writing your own code from scratch.

[Godel_unicode]

Lots of people on just this thread, who have far more than a glancing interest, have expressed their disagreement with this exact idea.

The hardest part for lots of people in learning to program is getting over the idea that programming is for Special People, or possibly Wizards, who know lots of incantations which are beyond mere mortals. Please stop trying to convince them they're right.

Source: I've taught lots of marketing people, admins, call center techs, etc to program in PowerShell or system Python.

[arvinsim]

On the contrary, not teaching people how to install the interpreter just perpetuates the idea that it is beyond the ken of mere mortals. And that only "Wizards" should do it.

Installing the interpreter is nothing special. It should be taught as such.