[scott_s]

I find it strange that some people see computers-as-appliances as an existential threat. (I'm thinking of things like tablets, smart phones and consoles.) Yes, it is difficult to tinker with the insides of such things. But we gain stability and ease of use. Such devices do not magically make other kinds of computers cease to exist.

Computers that can be tinkered with still do exist, and it has never been easier to use them to program. Microsoft and Apple both provide free access to rich development environments. And it's easy to install many other kinds of programming environments onto such machines.

In fact, the combination of a web browser and JavaScript is perhaps the most ubiquitous programming environment, ever. And it is available on damned near everything.

[wrongc0ntinent]

In my experience, coding usually starts out for two main reasons: curiosity/fascination, and need. Over time, that ratio has changed, which I guess is the main gripe of the article.