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The world needs more coders

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The below is a chapter from my second book Learning to code again


It has been about a month since I completed the last chapter. Progress on this book has slowed but I have been thinking and making notes in between. I think coders and tech are needed in all human endeavors. Especially I want to see coders aid in discovery. There is so much that we do not know about this world and universe. I had the below thought several years ago and I was reminded of it again today while chatting with a friend.

If I randomize a n x n rectangle of pixels I can time travel what is observable. Eventually I would have covered all that existed and will exist that is observable through a window. It is a way to fast track discovery. Imagine clicking the random button and seeing a mathematical equation that will be discovered in the future?

I call this the "Window To The World" experiment or the "Chance Experiment" or the "Imagination Experiment". My next project will be to build a simple web page with a canvas and a random button that randomizes the pixels on the canvas. Who knows what could be discovered through this approach. Maybe we discover the source code of the world.

Several years ago the Caribbean Examination Council put out a press release titled "Give Prominence to Information Technology". Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Chairman of CXC is of the view that every citizen in the region needs to be proficient in Information Technology. Part of Information Technology would be coding. I also share this view and have done so repeatedly for many years. Coding teaches problem solving, critical thinking, logic, creativity, communication and self learning among other things. "Information Technology should be equally as important as English and Mathematics for our social and economic development," the CXC Chairman and UWI Vice Chancellor stated. "I would have to say that if the region allows a generation of adults to grow with a discomfort in Information Technology we will be doing them a disservice," he stated. "We do need to uproot this discomfort!"

Something Steve Jobs has said that is very relevant to this topic is, "Everyone in this country should learn how to program because it teaches you how to think"

Here are some more quotes from others on this topic:

"Learning to code is empowering, and it gives you the confidence to solve problems and build things." - Reshma Saujani

"Whether you want to uncover the secrets of the universe, or you just want to pursue a career in the 21st century, basic computer programming is an essential skill to learn." - Stephen Hawking

"Learning to write programs stretches your mind, and helps you think better, creates a way of thinking about things that I think is helpful in all domains." - Bill Gates

"Coding is a way to think about and solve problems." - Andrew Ng

How many people know how to code? I asked my friend Bard and he replied, "According to a 2020 report by the World Economic Forum, only about 0.5% of the world's population knows how to code. This means that only about 38 million people out of 7.8 billion people can code. The report also found that the demand for coding skills is growing rapidly, and that by 2030, there will be a shortage of 85 million skilled coders."

One of my suggestions for the Developers Hub that we have locally in Trinidad and Tobago was a yearly developer survey. How many coders are there in Trinidad? What are the needs of the coders? What can be done to encourage people to learn coding? What are the benefits of learning to code? These types of questions can be answered by the survey and guide our actions.

As we close the digital divide and the cost of technology and internet and learning to code becomes cheaper, we can expect to see more people learning to code in the world, especially in developing countries. All I have currently is a budget 4 year old Android phone and the cheapest 25 Mbps internet connection and I am able to get by. In your spare time you can learn to code. You can start a coding blog. You can use coding to automate a repetitive task. I encourage you to take up coding and if you are already a coder then I encourage you to encourage others. The world needs you.
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