Are you illiterate if you do not know how to program?

Litteracy is what I called a bundled word.

Lets take the case of someone who can read and understand any subject or diagram easily, but for some reason cannot write in an understandable manner. Would we say that he is illiterate?

Some people would say yes and some would say no. Such is the nature of bundled words.

Our language needs to change a bit and be more verb oriented. "Can read", "Can write", are two different things.

Litteracy is one dangerous word. Reminds me of democracy. People are ready to kill without thinking to preserve democracy. Such is the power of the abstract word in the post-gutenburg era.

Those who think that providing laptops to kids, or giving them programming classes is preparing them for the major types of changes coming from this major technological revolution really don't realize what type of revolution we are currently living.

Would rather see classes on how to avoid computer addiction, on what is cyberbullying, on how to report sexual predators, on the need to do physical activity to counterbalance the effects of computers etc.

This said, Programming does develop certain skills by providing an opportunity to see our minds at work. Its a bit like playing chess. It lets you discover that your mind sometimes plays tricks on you. It also develops a vocabulary around logical and object constructs.

But if our schools were properly designed logical thinking would already be part of it and there would really be no universal need to teach programming more than anything else.

The skills required to survive the major change wave we are about to see will not be computer skills. Sure you have to know a bit about how to use the devices but you must also learn to live by the rules.,

Politicians who know how to program won't have better chances at keeping their jobs.