Some thoughts from a post-reply I made on a chat forum for the University…

I like the term “Computer Science”, because it makes me feel all “sciency” and warm inside. It allows us to pretend this ‘stuff’ is a real science, instead of a collection of urban legends and pseudo-science statistical mumbo-jumbo with a large dollop of sociology thrown in. 😀

The term I really, really despise is “coding”. As in “lets teach CODING to everyone in K-12”. As if “coding” were a real thing beyond the good old “Typing 10” we used to get in grade 9. Sure, the machines foisted upon the trend-chasing edu-set are slightly better than 30-year-old Underwood typewriters we used (at least the “k” doesn’t stick), the crap and crapware loaded onto them make them amost as useless to young minds. The only “skill” actually learned in “coding” is perhaps typing.

In that vein, programming, really excellent programming, is more ART than science. It’s an intuition and invention to solve complex problems that involves many of the same centers of the brain as does invention and genius. That’s why there are so many “drone coders” working in 21st century sweatshops today. OOPS, did I say sweatshops? I meant to say “enlightened fun, fascinating work places”. Same thing, IMO.

My god, I hate that “coding” word.