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September 8, 2013 09:30 pm GMT

Where The Coding Craze Is Going Overboard

keep-calm-and-learn-to-code-2This summer, I jumped on the learn-to-code bandwagon, spending a couple of weeks on an online course before becoming completely frustrated and quitting. But there are plenty of people singing its praises, how it teaches life skills that are applicable to anything, or how it will guarantee you a great job even if you aren’t the top performer in your industry. Actually, coding advocates might have done this a little too well. Learning to code has become the new trend that everyone wants in on. If you ask me, I think we’ve all gone a little code crazy. Not that it isn’t warranted.There are several factors that have been fueling the trend over the past couple years, such as an optimum job market, growing accessibility to coding tools and an increased focus on the digital and tech-related. This isn’t an argument against coding; in fact, it’s nearly impossible to argue against the validity of the skill. But for some, the many benefits of learning to code have manifested into the simple derivation of CODING = GOOD. An example of this trend is the project ofThe Journeyman Hacker, a man’s attempt to solve all a homeless man’s issues by teaching him how to code. Despite his well-meaning intentions, this perpetuates the idea that all you need is the ability to code, and you’re set. Never mind finding a place to live, a way to protect your valuables or just the day-to-day cost of getting by. On top of that, a homeless person with a valuable skill set will still have a hard time finding a job (unless in this case the media attention and endorsement helps the Journeyman out). While Patrick McConlogue’s proposed solution wasn’t exactly satire, another voice chimed in to hammer in the point. A Valleywag advice column titled “Dear Miss Disruption” boasts the ability to solve all your problems with three simple words: learn to code.Disagreement with your family? Relationships troubles? No place to live? It can all be solved with a programming language or two. Coding has also become an important component of education, and in some cases has started to trump the traditional college degree. Betweenstudent coding camps, codingboard gamesand some proponentsteaching codingin elementary school, it’s no wonder some are skipping out on college and going straight into a career in programming. Add in resources such as Codecademy, which gained 200,000 users in its first three

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