I definitely applaud your argument there. HTML was my gateway drug into the world of programming. After a couple months of HTML web pages (that looked terrible) I took a formal programming class, like most people, was nearly convinced that HTML wasn't a "true" programming language. After expanding my programming language vocabulary, I've come back to realize it's actually an excellent programming language, and a great one to learn off of.
My schooling taught me that there are essentially three parts to a program: input, process and output. With basic HTML you really only lose the input section. I see the HTML code hooking into the process and output stages.
The other wonderful thing I've seen with HTML is that it gets even the most non-techie minds to try out programming.
Definitely other great posts as well. I'm definitely in agreement with the statements that the language is irrelevant. Understanding the art of programming (logic, algorithms, complexity, etc etc) is far more important than whether you use Python, Perl, Lisp, assembly or write pure binary (I'm looking at all you compilers reading this;).
Anyways I've been coding since I was 10 or so. I picked up some BASIC books from the library and at the time Word's macro system understood basic. The output flew past incredibly fast but I got the idea. I moved from BASIC to HTML and from there my world just opened up. I've written programs in everything from C/C++/Java/Perl/Python/Javascript and more (don't we geeks just love to throw out the languages we can speak even when the message conveyed is the same:P). So yeah kids are programming and the best thing to do is keep encouraging them to. I've wanted to be a software engineer ever since I ran a crappy program on the old school Macs (both the Apple II's and the OS 6/7/8/9's) and said to myself "I could do this better." Keep kids questioning authority and teach them never to accept mediocre as a standard of excellence.
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I definitely applaud your argument there. HTML was my gateway drug into the world of programming. After a couple months of HTML web pages (that looked terrible) I took a formal programming class, like most people, was nearly convinced that HTML wasn't a "true" programming language. After expanding my programming language vocabulary, I've come back to realize it's actually an excellent programming language, and a great one to learn off of.
;).
:P). So yeah kids are programming and the best thing to do is keep encouraging them to. I've wanted to be a software engineer ever since I ran a crappy program on the old school Macs (both the Apple II's and the OS 6/7/8/9's) and said to myself "I could do this better." Keep kids questioning authority and teach them never to accept mediocre as a standard of excellence.
My schooling taught me that there are essentially three parts to a program: input, process and output. With basic HTML you really only lose the input section. I see the HTML code hooking into the process and output stages.
The other wonderful thing I've seen with HTML is that it gets even the most non-techie minds to try out programming.
Definitely other great posts as well. I'm definitely in agreement with the statements that the language is irrelevant. Understanding the art of programming (logic, algorithms, complexity, etc etc) is far more important than whether you use Python, Perl, Lisp, assembly or write pure binary (I'm looking at all you compilers reading this
Anyways I've been coding since I was 10 or so. I picked up some BASIC books from the library and at the time Word's macro system understood basic. The output flew past incredibly fast but I got the idea. I moved from BASIC to HTML and from there my world just opened up. I've written programs in everything from C/C++/Java/Perl/Python/Javascript and more (don't we geeks just love to throw out the languages we can speak even when the message conveyed is the same