[alas_141]

The layman should learn to program the same way that they should know how to cook. They won't be as good as someone who is fascinated with CS, but they should know enough that they won't "starve". To me, everyone should know how to script a basic program (maybe snake or tetris is the line for basic), scrape for some information, and do basic data analysis. As tooling gets better all the time, I could see the goalposts moving a bit to standing up a server or making a basic AI. Just like not knowing how to use Google in the 2000's would handicap you, I see programming knowledge the same way. You can survive without it, but the quality of life you'd enjoy would be much higher for knowing it.

[shadowofneptune]

Could you please explain how these tasks would improve quality of life for someone in another field? A doctor, mechanic, hairdresser, etc. I fail to see how these are as important as cooking or literacy (as it's been compared to elsewhere in the thread).

[alas_141]

You're right in that it is a less immediately needed or important skill for most things. It comes down to whether you want to outsource the job or not. If you can change your own oil, you don't have to outsource it to a mechanic. Knowing how to do stitches saves you an ER trip. Hair is a weird one because I'd imagine it's hard to cut your own hair. The programming version of this would be writing a script that gets comps for listing real estate, and a realtor becomes less valuable. Spending a bit of time to really learn bash can get much more value out of using a computer. The window of problems to solve that don't already have a solution readily available is shrinking, but not gone. A personal example for me, I couldn't find a ballistic computer that was free and did what I wanted, so I wrote it myself. I've also written scripts that scrape ebay links when me and friends couldn't get the new xbox. These things don't move the needle very much in terms of quality of life on their own, but as an aggregate, I am grateful I took the time to learn how to really use my computer. You are right though, in pointing out that they aren't as important as cooking and literacy. I would only add that the importance on knowing programming is trending up with time.

[empressplay]

I think anyone would hope their doctor had a bit of proficiency in logical thinking! Thinking of medicine in terms of algorithmic logic and datasets goes a long way towards making proper diagnoses and developing competent treatment programs.

Same thing with auto mechanics (that actually involves computers these days, BTW) and even hairdressers could find some efficiency in optimizing their processes, which is another skill coding provides.