Post #4388486

2026-08-04 19:53 UTC

@foone@digipres.club It is not just you. I teach high school computer science and the first couple lessons in the curriculum are literally about exactly this. Multiple lessons. It's such a key component to why programming is the way it is, why it's important to learn programming when working with computers directly. It ties directly into the concepts for abstraction, the difference between high- and low-level programming languages, why errors happen. It's taught right out of the gate into a high school introductory programming class because it's fundamental. One of the earliest lessons is writing instructions for making a simple drawing, and then swapping and executing someone else's instructions. And the kids very quickly realize that precision is not really achievable in plain English. They need to know this before they program anything, and that's not from me that's from the curriculum. Other people know this. That's why I've been losing my mind with all these programmers falling into bed with AI for coding because hold on, isn't that kindof against the whole ethos of programming? What's even the point? Hello? Why are we ignoring one of the fundamental reasons for why programming is done?

Replies (1)

@RyeNCode@mstdn.ca 2026-08-05 03:14

@crypticrainfall @foone@digipres.club We did a similar lesson in our first C++ class in college. The assignment was to write instructions for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The prof selected one and dutifully performed the actions as written, as though they were an entity fully ignorant of anything associated with anything we normal ASSUME is part of making a sandwich. It was a mess. Which was the point. The lesson then, thirty years ago, was that computers are dumb and will do what you tell them to do, only that and exactly that so be very careful and specific with what any how you instruct them. Now of course, the script is different. The lesson will change to: computers are dumb and will do some of what you tell them, ignore most and invent even more that you didn't tell them, so tell them nothing, unless the CTO says you have to, then try to get them to tell eachother to do inconsequential things so you can keep your job.

Open ##4388584