At various times in computing history, but not infrequently, a device was shipped with a programming environment.
IMHO, we should mandate a return to that by law.
(1) Any interface-capable device must afford its owner an ability to create new programs on it. (E.g. laptop, pad, smartphone)
(2) Any device sold must allow its owner an ability to load programs of their choice onto it.
(3) Any device sold may include security or restriction features, but must include a jailbreak capability that removes all such restrictions, if the user so chooses.
Teaching an entire generation that a computing device is a thing to be used (and hoping someone else has created and gotten approval for a program to do what you want) is a bad evolutionary path.
The point isn't that everyone will use on-device creative capabilities -- it's that anyone can.
And that their efforts can then be shared with others.
At various times in computing history, but not infrequently, a device was shipped with a programming environment.
IMHO, we should mandate a return to that by law.
(1) Any interface-capable device must afford its owner an ability to create new programs on it. (E.g. laptop, pad, smartphone)
(2) Any device sold must allow its owner an ability to load programs of their choice onto it.
(3) Any device sold may include security or restriction features, but must include a jailbreak capability that removes all such restrictions, if the user so chooses.
Teaching an entire generation that a computing device is a thing to be used (and hoping someone else has created and gotten approval for a program to do what you want) is a bad evolutionary path.
The point isn't that everyone will use on-device creative capabilities -- it's that anyone can.
And that their efforts can then be shared with others.