Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.
Hi all, please see this major site announcement: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427594/boards-ie-2026

Can you code and should I learn to?

24

Comments

  • #32
    Mint Aero
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,570 ✭✭✭Mint Aero


    I'm of the opinion that in time, all software developers, coders, whatever they are will be just the modern day version of factory workers of the industrial revolution. In time, they too will be replaced by the machine.

    Learn it if you want. Be a waste of time in my opinion unless you're interested in it. I'm not. I've better things to be doing.


  • #33
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,085 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    I think it is very important to understand how IT systems work. In a lot of jobs being able to communicate with coders and engineers is what is most important and being able to understand what's needed and how it can be achieved.

    I mean an architect can design a complicated building but to do that I don't need to know how the chemistry behind every brick and the fluid mechanics calculations for every circulating pump.
    A lot of people just need to know what it is and roughly how it works and how to specify it.


  • #34
    Spunge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,779 ✭✭✭Spunge


    i work as a programmer but can i code ?
    no.

    also 2/3 of boards can code ?
    quite surprising


  • #35
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,085 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    Spunge wrote: »
    i work as a programmer but can i code ?
    no.

    also 2/3 of boards can code ?
    quite surprising

    Most of the population claim to speak fluent irish too. It's a nation of aspirational fantasists at times!


  • #36
    Baron Kurtz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,261 ✭✭✭Baron Kurtz


    DoYouEvenLift wrote: »
    Your rite, you're post is on too something

    Is this, like, a new code, guys?! *Phrnarf, narf* [adjusts geeky specs]


  • Advertisement
  • #37
    kneemos
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,610 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    Spunge wrote: »
    i work as a programmer but can i code ?
    no.

    also 2/3 of boards can code ?
    quite surprising

    43 know how to code.Not necessarily representative in a thread about coding.


  • #38
    seamus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68,173 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    kneemos wrote: »
    43 know how to code.Not necessarily representative in a thread about coding.
    Also half of them probably did a semester of HTML in college. <stirring> That's not coding :p </stirring>


  • #39
    Mint Aero
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,570 ✭✭✭Mint Aero


    SpaceTime wrote: »
    I think it is very important to understand how IT systems work. In a lot of jobs being able to communicate with coders and engineers is what is most important and being able to understand what's needed and how it can be achieved.

    I mean an architect can design a complicated building but to do that I don't need to know how the chemistry behind every brick and the fluid mechanics calculations for every circulating pump.
    A lot of people just need to know what it is and roughly how it works and how to specify it.

    Why? I can't think of many jobs where it is very important to understand how IT systems work? Architects use complex programmes like Cad/Revit etc but do they need to know how to programme for those , not a hope.

    Gehry's office might have created programmes to achieve some of his designs. Outsourcing to the developers or whatever, but speaking plain English to get what he wanted is as far as his knowledge of how the IT worked is all that was needed I bet.

    We all know how to troubleshoot the basic stuff and set up printers/networks and what not. Can't see the need to know more than that :)


  • #40
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,085 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    All you need to know is what you need to specify.

    Even web development is often driven by a graphic designer with the coding done by someone else.

    Coder driven websites are often lacking a lot of visual style and usability.

    I'd like to see irish education investing more in real IT courses though. We had "computers" which consisted of learning how to use MS Office!!! That's not IT skills it's more like secretarial skills.


  • #41
    fxotoole
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,661 ✭✭✭fxotoole


    Cienciano wrote: »
    LOL, in the future you won't be able to get your car fixed or buy vegetables?

    Yup. And everyone needs to know Chinese because the Chinese are going to win world war 3 apparently


  • Advertisement
  • #42
    Maximus Alexander
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,080 ✭✭✭✭Maximus Alexander


    scdublin wrote: »
    Like others have said - certain languages become outdated very quickly and it might not be worth your time unless you're really eager to get into a role in that area.

    The outdated languages are actually the ones that will earn you the most money.


  • #43
    Earthhorse
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,728 ✭✭✭✭Earthhorse


    The only reason to learn to code is if you want to code either as your job or for a hobby.

    It's possible that learning to code could benefit everyone in that many people have to interact with programmers these days but in truth have very little concept of what it is they do. But that's a lot of work to put in with something that could be achieved by simply listening to them and asking searching questions.

    And anyone who thinks coding will eventually be automated doesn't know how to code.


  • #44
    One eyed Jack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,439 ✭✭✭✭One eyed Jack


    Spunge wrote: »
    i work as a programmer but can i code ?
    no.

    also 2/3 of boards can code ?
    quite surprising


    You don't appear to have a very good grasp of statistics either. It shouldn't come as a surprise that on a thread asking can people do something, that it's going to attract people who can.

    SpaceTime wrote: »
    Most of the population claim to speak fluent irish too. It's a nation of aspirational fantasists at times!


    Well, we are known as the land of saints and scholars! :D

    Seriously though, someone else mentioned earlier that children should learn software engineering instead of Irish in school. The problem with that is if software engineering were taught in the same haphazard fashion as Irish.

    There's no reason both couldn't be taught of course, but nobody achieves competency or excellence in any subject without taking an active interest in it outside of school hours.

    Most people here would have some competency in IT, but the vast majority of people in society have no interest in the inner workings of their phones or tablets. They just want to use them, they only care about the front end, don't give a fiddlers about what's going on underneath.


  • #45
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,085 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    Hey Siri : write me a back office system for my online retail business!

    Tried that ... She told me to get stuffed!


  • #46
    Maximus Alexander
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,080 ✭✭✭✭Maximus Alexander


    Earthhorse wrote: »
    And anyone who thinks coding will eventually be automated doesn't know how to code.

    Not to mention that if we somehow got to the point that coding was automated then literally everything would be automated.


  • #47
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,085 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    Maximus Alexander wrote: »
    Not to mention that if we somehow got to the point that coding was automated then literally everything would be automated.

    Well if AI becomes a reality it'll code itself ... Then enslave us or use us as a cheap source of energy!

    So someone better remember how code works - just in case!


  • #48
    Mint Aero
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,570 ✭✭✭Mint Aero


    SpaceTime wrote: »
    Well if AI becomes a reality it'll code itself

    It's a matter of when not if lads.


  • #49
    Charlie19
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,123 ✭✭✭✭Charlie19


    Does being able to embed a video on boards count


  • #50
    Maximus Alexander
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,080 ✭✭✭✭Maximus Alexander


    Mint Aero wrote: »
    It's a matter of when not if lads.

    It's very much a matter of if.


  • #51
    Magico Gonzalez
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,328 ✭✭✭Magico Gonzalez


    Working in IT since 1999, never written a line of code. Try it, if you like writing code then it's for you, if you don't...it ain't. You really can't force it.

    Many of those people who started with me writing code are still writing code. I guess because they like it. My limited perspective says that money and promotion come from not knowing how to do anything technical but being able to talk a good game, i.e. Business Analyst > Pro Mgr > Managing More Stuff.

    In other words, if you are good at coding people like me (evil layabouts) will want you to continue coding so that you make us evil layabouts look good.

    Better to be able to talk about something rather than actually do it. At least within multinationals.

    That's the unkind truth from the coal face. I'm sure it's not universally true, but in my limited experience it is more often than not.


  • Advertisement
  • #52
    Mint Aero
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,570 ✭✭✭Mint Aero


    Maximus Alexander wrote: »
    It's very much a matter of if.


    Nope, when.


  • #53
    Maximus Alexander
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,080 ✭✭✭✭Maximus Alexander


    Mint Aero wrote: »
    Nope, when.

    Cool, since you're the time traveler you might as well put us out of our misery - when does it happen?


  • #54
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,085 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    Already here and trawling your email, texts, Facebook, credit cards etc to check you're not a terrorist most likely!


  • #55
    Shenshen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,453 ✭✭✭Shenshen


    Can't do a lot, some basic html and well, a bit of basic. All of it pretty much self-taught.

    Enough to be able to put together the odd macro in Excel and LibreOffice.
    But I've reached a point where I'd want to be able to do a bit more, just out of curiosity. Could anyone here recommend a good way to start? A good introductory book perhaps?


  • #56
    Mint Aero
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,570 ✭✭✭Mint Aero


    Maximus Alexander wrote: »
    Cool, since you're the time traveler you might as well put us out of our misery - when does it happen?

    Soon my dear Alexander, very soon.


  • #57
    draiochtanois
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,632 ✭✭✭draiochtanois


    This post has been deleted.


  • #58
    Aongus Von Bismarck
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,794 ✭✭✭Aongus Von Bismarck


    I've been learning the R Programming language for the past number of months. It's extremely useful for taking data sets and applying statistical analysis to that data. It's not difficult to learn once you have a good grounding in statistics. I found learning the syntax to be fairly trivial.
    If children can learn to code then it should be easy for an adult to learn. It's computer programming we're talking about, not quantum physics or developing a new form of derivative trading instrument.


  • #59
    biko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 81,060 ✭✭✭✭biko


    Harry Palmr wrote: »
    Should I, an old git learn
    As part of coding you will actually learn git.

    Dev forum has many good suggestions


  • #60
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,085 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    Biggest issue is the leaving cert had evolved into an exercise in regurgitation not problem solving or researching.

    I think that's where China will fall down too. Their system is even more extremely like that. Grind schools and learn by rote.


  • Advertisement
  • #61
    Maximus Alexander
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,080 ✭✭✭✭Maximus Alexander


    Shenshen wrote: »
    Can't do a lot, some basic html and well, a bit of basic. All of it pretty much self-taught.

    Enough to be able to put together the odd macro in Excel and LibreOffice.
    But I've reached a point where I'd want to be able to do a bit more, just out of curiosity. Could anyone here recommend a good way to start? A good introductory book perhaps?

    I bought this book in 2009 and now I work in software development. Oddly enough, not using Java. But... yeah. I'd recommend it as a starting point. ;)


Advertisement
Advertisement