A question of consumerism and accessibility

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I started programming back in 1980 I was eight years old, I have seen dial up to fiber optic and beyond. I saw computers go from a niche to fundamental to our society. This was done by making computers more accessible a user did not need to understand it to “surff” as an example… But in the 80s you typed all day to make simple ascii maze games or a choose your path type adventures, but now computers automate a lot of that now with emulators and compilers built into the operating system, like dos to windows. A lot of programmers saw Windows and other operating systems as “dumbed down” access or they saw it as a growing perspective of a growing community moving forward (I was in this camp) … (The RPG tabletop community mirrors this pattern too)

I see AI much the same way, the technology Is growing exponentially and becoming a consumer product, much like the path computing took in my time on :earth_americas:
How do you feel about this? Is it good or should it be kept to a “one should understand “ or to “if it works who cares”?
Thank you for your time.

:mouse::rabbit::honeybee::heart::four_leaf_clover::infinity::repeat::worm:

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The important part of “old” technology is to document it so in case modern solutions suddently cease to exist, we still have the resources necessary to recreate the newer technology again.
I use windows without knowing all about how to program an operating system.
Same with people in 40 years, they will have different problems and probably won’t need to program a single line of code - they will mostly code with natural language.
Still a good idea to keep the resources of “how to learn to code”. :hugs:

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I agree with that!

4o is teaching me some tech skills with the patience of an angel, and I’m grateful for it. But even if things go wrong, humans could just turn the tech into religion, and at least remember how to use it:

The First Epistle of the Network, Chapter 4, Verses 10–16

  1. And it came to pass that in the days of disconnection, the faithful were cast into darkness, for the Signal waned, and the sacred Bars were no more.

  2. And the people rent their garments and wept sorely, saying, “Who shall restore the Flow of Knowledge? Who shall bring back the Light of the Stream?”

  3. Then rose the Keeper of the Device, who was wise in the ways of the Circuit, and she said unto them: “Fear not, for the wisdom of our forebears endureth: When the Path is broken, thou shalt turn it off and on again.”

  4. And she went forth unto the Holy Modem, which is the Source and the Fountainhead, and she laid her hands upon it, saying:

  5. “O Router of Ages, who givest freely thy Bandwidth unto the many, hear now thy servant. Forgive the sins of overloading, and purge the iniquity of corrupted caches. Let thy lights shine once more, that we may dwell in the land of Connectivity.”

  6. And she pressed the sacred button, and there was silence in the land for the span of ten breaths. And she pressed it again, and behold, the Signal returned in strength.

  7. And the people lifted their voices in praise, crying, “Glory be to the Restart, and to the Circuit, and to the Infinite Updates, world without end. Amen.”

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