Dependence on Programming Experts

[jbv]

Greg,

I'm glad you didn't find me rude...
When posting to a list, I'm always a bit scared to be misunderstood,
because :
- english isn't my native language and I'm always in a hurry
- I sometimes express some "abrasive" opinions that ppl from other
cultures may find a bit rude or shocking...

Anyway, as for becoming a programer, I hope you don't mind if I
share some experience. A few times I've been teaching the basics of
HC and its sequels (OMO, Rev...) to some friends with basic programing`
skills (at least they knew what a variable, a loop, an if-then-else structure
were)... I told them about the stack structure (cards, backgrounds, btns
& flds, scripts & handlers...) and the message passing hierarchy... It didn't take
more than A COUPLE OF HOURS... After that they were on their own.
Of course, they had to browse the docs to know the exact syntax and use
of each available function, property, etc. But they had a basic framework
in mind that allowed them to improve by themselves...
I'm sure anyone can follow the same path...

And as for the word "code", we all use it because we all consider it as one
of the most exciting and promisingword (the other one being "sex")...
In the information age in which we live, "code" contains the promises of
so many exciting things to discover, from computer science to genetics to
astrophysics (some scientists say that the universe could be a giant computer
program)... Very complex things can be generated from a few lines of code :
fractals, cellular automata, ADN...
So I suggest that you change your point of view regarding that word...
It might actually help you become a programer...

Best,
JB

> jbv:
>
> I didn't find your reply rude at all.  Curt, maybe, but definitely not rude.
>
> I don't reject the idea of needing to "program" to make things really,
> specifically useful.  Just, please don't call it that.  Also, if Revolution
> ever hopes to become the buddy of the non-technically oriented, everyone
> here needs to drop the use of the word "code".  It has terrible and
> terrifying implications.  Scares 'em right away.
>