Comment Re:We need better software, not more programmers (Score 2) 212
Think of it this way: who needs to read the manual when they get a new car? You just figure it out because it is largely intuitive. A TON of non-intuitive thought went into making the car easy to use.
Driving a car is not intuitive - there's a reason it takes a while to graduate from a learner's permit to a full license. What is it is familiar - most cars are driven the same way with some minor variations (which side the indicator is on, where the handbrake is, etc.) and only one major one (manual vs. automatic transmission). I'm not convinced that anything is truly intuitive, given that even simple things like handwriting need to be taught.
I agree that there is something to be said for making technology better to use. However, the problem is needs to be approached at both ends - the most powerful programs do require above average ability from their users. e.g. there are scheduling programs on Android that let you perform arbitrary tasks like toggling wifi when multiple conditions are met, but you need to understand basic boolean logic to use them. Coding is probably overkill, but it does encapsulate those concepts in a concrete manner.