[CivBase]

> As a programmer, please first define the words "programming" and "easy"

I came her to say pretty much the same thing.

As far as I'm concerned, "programming" is just the art of writing instructions. For software developers, that means writing instructions for computers in a machine-readable language. But really any form of recording instructions is "programming", regardless of who the instructions are meant for.

I've taught my wife a little programming and for her the hard part is understanding how to translate instructions into a machine-readable language. Her biggest struggle is understanding how to decompose each step until it can be accomplished using the limited features and tools provided by the language.

When I think back on my education, we really didn't talk very much about the process of logically decomposing instructions. I've also had a hard time finding any resources to help me better explain the process to her. I wouldn't be surprised if that hurdle is responsible for most people giving up on programming.