[matthewmacleod]

Its not nonsense - it used to be that you could write a new application for your computer if you wanted to, easily enough, and you'd have the exact same tools as anyone else would have - because the computer shipped with them.

Yes, it is nonsense. Development tools are easily and freely available to anybody who wants to use them.

The 'developers' arose as a class of society simply because computer use became decoupled from application development.

Developers exist because development of applications is inherently more complex than use of applications, almost by definition.

But this doesn't actually do something

It displays a window.

Used to be, you could write a functional application with 10 lines of code

You still can, and you'll be able to accomplish a lot more than you could 25 years ago.

but now, because computing is being run by Fashion Directors (I agree with you on this, btw) where 'trends' are more important than actual use, we get a lot of weight added to the truss normally bearing the load of 'usefulness' to the user.

I don't agree with you. Computers are being designed to aid users in accomplishing tasks, which is exactly what they should do. That they are not required to understand the internal workings is a good thing.

[fit2rule]

I believe that the reason its so difficult to understand the internal workings is the intention of the OS vendors - and this is not an altruistic purpose! If computers were very easy to develop for, a lot of people who have a vested interest in maintaining their control and secrecy might have to re-educate themselves. What I see happening in the industry is the same thing that happens in Class-based societies - as soon as there is an opportunity to draw a line, it is drawn - and we then have two classes of people.

Repeat, ad infinitum ..