Making software development more accessible leads to more software. It doesn't necessarily lead to better software. I think this is the collective groan you hear.
Anybody can take garageband and slap some autotuned vocals on a track and make a song. That does not make the average person a skilled musician. Musicians that have taken the years of practice to get that tone just right on their cello are not going to have a lot of respect for someone that achieves it pushing some buttons on their midi keyboard.
You are probably right though. I don't know if it really matters how the sausage is made.
"Programming is too important to be left to the programmers."
I believe we owe the vitality of the software business to the fact that we never rationed, or maintained gatekeepers for, software development.
Disclosure: I play the cello. The lesson from the music business is that the definition of a skilled musician is no consolation when someone lowers the barrier to entry with technology (electric guitar & bass, scratch turntable, sampling, PC based recording, autotune).
Anybody can take garageband and slap some autotuned vocals on a track and make a song. That does not make the average person a skilled musician. Musicians that have taken the years of practice to get that tone just right on their cello are not going to have a lot of respect for someone that achieves it pushing some buttons on their midi keyboard.
You are probably right though. I don't know if it really matters how the sausage is made.