Inside the Niigata Nippo Media Ship, a brand new high-rise in Niigata, full of the latest tech on each floor, and a building which to me, aside from being a modernistic and beautiful "power spot," represents a kind of computer program in and of itself for its "wired" feeling.
I can't believe Harvard University lectures are available for free. I can't believe University of Edinburgh courses are available for free. What is more unbelievable, is that I don't think many people find this unbelievable.
Last week I decided to start learning how to code. I know next to nothing. I began taking the CS50x course through Alison.com and an intro to coding course (which is quite hands-on so far) through Coursera.org and the University of Edinburgh.
As a debate enthusiast, I can already feel the kick-ass-ness (yes, that's now a word) of the pure, unadulterated logical thinking that is required to successfully write even simple programs.
Doing exercises on MIT's Scratch programming site has already challenged my thinking quite a bit, and even gotten me to the point of frustration now and then. As I get lost in all the "repeat until"s, "repeat forever, else, then"s and all the other loops and commands, I can't figure out which one takes precedent. I find myself having to step back and resimplify over and over.
Why are the sprites in my program shooting back and forth like fucking neurotic psychopaths!?
Oh yeah. I didn't put a "wait" command in there.
The small victories, though, always feel pretty sweet. It is an addictive adventure in creativity and problem-solving. In other words, I'm really digging it.
Logic
Computers don't assume anything. They just do according to the commands given. I think of how much we assume as humans, and how much excess baggage we bring to debate, and really, to our approach to problem-solving in life in general.
Programming is going to help me become stronger in debate and discourse, that I can already see. Since computers don't assume anything, one has to think very methodically. It is amazing to me. I am beginning to see how much I don't.
In my first post about diving into the world of coding, one user commented "the code is the truth." I really like this, and feel it is true in more ways than one.
There's no excess buckshot to be tolerated--just pointed commands that either work together to meet the desired goal, or do not. In the future perhaps computers will blast out of this mold and Artificial Intelligence will make groundbreaking strides, effectively allowing a program to program itself...alive.
As it stands now, one thing a computer can't do, and which separates us homosapiens from mindless code-reading machines, is appreciate the beauty and eloquence of its own unassuming simplicity in the execution of its duty.
I need to come up with an algorithm for finding the best soy sauce.
Scratchwork
If you'd like to see my first silly-ass program on Scratch you can check it out here:
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/121183765/
I am currently working on an actual game!!!!
Peace out, fellow programmer newbs and Steemians.
Until next time,
"The code is the truth."
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist residing in Niigata, Japan.
