Who will write tomorrow's code?

This article on the BBC Technology Website by Bill Thompson illustrates aspects of the history of programming and examines the availability of future programmers.

This is at - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7324556.stm.

"Bill Thompson describes the history of "personal computers like the IBM PC, home systems like the Spectrum and of course to the BBC Microcomputer," - "characterised by programmability, by the ability of users to write their own code".

"Just like EDSAC the BBC Micro was open to developers to work on, coming with the BASIC programming language and even a schematic showing the circuitry inside for those more interested in hardware than software."

"Along with the Spectrum and even the ZX81 it was a computer that encouraged those using it to learn to program for themselves."

"The BBC offered support with television programs, magazines with long BASIC programs to be typed in and improved upon were published, and there was a sense that understanding computers meant being able to do more than just run applications.

"Today, with over two billion PCs, three billion mobile phones and well over a billion internet users the ways in which information and communications technologies shape the modern world are obvious."

"The revolution succeeded, and we now live in the wired world of digital data, fast networks and computerised systems."

Bill Thompson argues "we need good programmers for the UK's software industry and at the moment we do not have enough of them."

Since the eighties and computers like the BBC Micro the emphasis on programming computers has reduced and use of applications is the main aim of most people. Although with Web 2.0 there is more User Generated Content created there are still limits to the customisation and development of applications by end-users. If the ease of use/programming of early BBC micros was brought to current applications and an easier transition from using to programming, this would be a powerful end-user programming environment. Then greater numbers of computer literate users would take on programming.

More information from my website on these subjects is available at - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/amrc/seeds/EndUserProgramming.htm and http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/amrc/seeds/PeterHale/EndUserHistory.htm.