The answer to your question is: money

Code exists as a way for humans to talk with the computer in a way in which the computer understands what actions to take in what circumstances. Each generation away makes code easier for humans to read and use and (generally) more expensive and specific to implement. Adding a visual layer on top of this is another expense.

It has been done. It will be done again. Most likely very specifically and probably quite badly. A lot of programs can be introduced when putting another layer between the programmer and the machine. webMethods is a good example of what not to do. CA Workflow is another.

Coding with a 2GL or 3GL or 4GL directly in text is currently the most efficient method for achieving the desired results. Existing systems do the job well enough. New systems are expensive.

In many cases it is a 'build it and they will come'. Quite a few attempts have been made to make GUI programming language interfaces; in particular for workflow applications. It gets messy quite quickly. Take a program which has 900 lines of actual code (disregard comments, headings, etc, just the raw code). Translate that into a diagram and then try to debug it. Print out out? On what? an A0 printer?

Visualise a program with 100 calls in the main. How would this be represented on the screen? Would each call open up in its own screen? Would you spend your time scrolling around looking for bits and pieces?

Have a read of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

If you want a practical idea of why it is not feasible then have a look at some of the existing examples of visual front end for code generation.

I have used a CASE tool to create a system for a project. The first month was not too bad. After a while traversing through the screens can really get to you. I found that many people had printed copies of what the program had so they did not lose track of where they were. Humans can only hold so much in their mind at any one time. At the end of the project the system would not 'balance' and finding the 'bugs' was an absolute nightmare, one which involved using the existing solution as a basis and redoing the whole thing from scratch from the bottom up. If this happened in the corporate world the tool would be out the window very shortly.

As another example, I have used a Workflow tool which had a graphical interface to define the rules for the workflow engine. Great. Except when it didn't work. Or did something in the output which did not match the graphical interface. Or where it just plain did not match up. In the end I ran SQL queries on the database to the rules table to write the rules I needed.

Another example of using a graphical method for programming instead of text is Atlassian who removed wiki markup from their flagship product Confluence. This resulted in a huge backlash in the corporate wiki arena with many still bitter over the loss of the ability to write code in text. Atlassian have since somewhat recanted and users can now enter code as xml markup. It is a good case showing that the flexibility of code can not be easily replaced by a gui.

yet think twice before spending $1.99 or some app.

What is stopping me is that I will not hand over my credit card information beyond the basic details needed for the purchase, my home address or other personal information to buy a $1.99 app.

It is a serious roadblock for the app market that paying for apps is a hurdle many users just do not want to jump.

In relation, I do not want to give Google my credit card details, personal details, home address, etc. Perhaps if everyone switched to paypal or bitcoin...

Time to support the open router project! If we want to change the world we will need to rebuilt the internet from the ground up.. starting with the devices in our homes.

http://orp1.com/

A trustworthy, open-source software & hardware router

ORP1 is a high performance networking router that allows you to run a firewall, IPSec VPN (virtual private network), and a TOR server for your home network. Its easy-to-use web interface will make encrypted and anonymised communications for your entire network easier to set up and manage. Now you don’t need to be a geek to be able to ensure that every device you use at home uses the internet with privacy, whether it’s your home PC, smartphone or tablet.

This is easy. He is asking for 'flextime'.

Best approach is not to make an issue of it. Create a timesheet or get a time tracking application and start logging start and stop times.

Break times are interesting.. do you clock out to get a coffee for 5 minutes or clock out for a 10 to 20 minute break?

Definitely log everything in your favour. Start times. Stop times. Time for work on the weekend.

Do up all of the paperwork for time worked over normal hours. Keep it with you. Have a lawyer review it if needed. Prepare everything to make a claim for everything.
This is not to actually make a claim. This is to get the PHB off your back and protect your job. Do not ever show this until you are backed into a corner or handed your papers.

Keep going with your current work. Get everything in writing. Make sure you record or get records of your yearly review. Get it all in writing.

What this employee is asking for and is doing is acceptable. The problem is that it can go downhill.

I did much the same years ago. I was formally reprimanded for turning up 30 minutes after everyone else, even though it was within the company policy. My previous manager stepped in and pointed out that I regularly worked until 6pm. End result was not pretty. Some manager are just assholes.

Find out what the expectations are in your workplace. Try to align with them.
You would be surprised how often arrival and end time equates to work done regardless of actual work done

Some banks issue a key fob for which generates a 6 digit number when the button is pressed. To logon to the bank's website you need your username, your password and a six digit number. This provides two factor identification - that which you know (username and password) and that which you have (keyfob to generate the one time password).

This system works very well. You can't logon to the bank's internet banking website without both whatyouknow and whatyouhave and once you are logged in you can not use major functions without generating a key using the fob which prevents someone taking over the session. This security provides solid protection from most types of automated and associated attacks including some MITM. I was very impressed with this system and heartily endorse it.

Other banks have two factor authentication using SMS or other side channels. Another bank I have an account with uses SMS as a side channel to confirm that the user at the computer is the user who owns the phone registered with the bank. This is similar to the key fob in that you need to be able to receive the SMS to make changes to the account using the bank's internet banking website or major functions like large money transfers or adding a new account to transfer money to. Again, this works quite well.

In both cases this is not about perfect security it is about increasing the cost and effort involved for an attacker to compromise the system.

I will never willingly give my fingerprints or any other biometric data. Yes, I know, someone could go all CSI on me and take my prints off of my glass when I put it down at the pub.

This idea of biometric identification needs to be shot down and buried. Perhaps in a future time we will have the infrastructure to support this and it may well be feasible but for now we have two factors systems which are in the field and work well.